Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Speaking ahead of the opening tomorrow (Tuesday March 20) of John Lewis’ 50th shop, the department store group’s managing director of Paula Nickolds said: “This shop offers customers something different.”
The branch, which measures 230,000sq ft, is the anchor tenant of the £600m extension of the White City, Westfield London shopping centre. It will stock over 150,000 products and more than 1,000 brands.
“We’re bringing to West London a new level of personalised, curated shopping which until now has been the preserve of boutique shops,” Paula said.
“Retail is changing but today’s department shop is as relevant as it ever has been in responding to the needs of our customers.
“This shop demonstrates our latest thinking on how the department store can be a place in which you can shop, do and learn in a way you haven’t been able to before.
“You can get style advice for yourself or your home, learn a new skill, play with the latest smart home technology and so much more.
“It’s also a place where we can build a far more personal relationship with our customers – bringing together the very best of our service offer and our outstanding Partners [staff].’
John Lewis promises daily cookery masterclasses in a demonstration kitchen, fashion style talks and beauty treatments in either the &Beauty express nail & brow bar, or hair and beauty salon.
In addition, inside John Lewis’ first ever ‘Discovery Room’, customers can learn skills such as how to light a room, make a house a smart home and hang a picture.
Customers can also enjoy the first fully immersive Apple Smart Home experience in a retail space in Europe. Using the dedicated Apple Home app and using Siri as their home assistant, visitors will be able to control smart devices, from lighting, thermostats and windows to home monitoring and security in three home living areas: entrance, bedroom and lounge.
The shop will also have an ‘Experience Desk’ and lounge where specially trained staff will provide a ‘concierge style’ service. Staff will consult customers on their needs, recommend solutions from the 23 services on offer (from home design advice to travel advice), book appointments and reserve tickets for in-store events.
Plus, the first floor will be home to John Lewis’s first ‘Style Studio’: a 700sq ft place for men or women with a passion for fashion to enjoy a one-on-one or group style consultations.
And in a move designed to create a closer relationship with its customers, John Lewis will be one of the first UK retailers to launch an app-based service enabling customers to keep in touch with their personal stylist.
Alerted by text or email about products based on their personal preferences, customers will be able to find out when a new collection has arrived from their favourite brand, or if a product they love is going into ‘price match’.
