John Lewis Leading in Retail Innovation
By Staff Writer, écoute moi
UK department store chain John Lewis in partnership with Waitrose is set to open its first experimental concept shop in its Southampton store.
The concept shop will offer customers access to a number of ‘experience playgrounds’ and experts such as interior designers, gardeners, gadget specialists, personal stylists, make-up artists, chefs and wine connoisseurs. If the trial is successful the concept could be introduced in stores across the country.
For the first time, customers will be able to choose from a series of paid-for events for up to 20 people where employees from around the business take center stage to share their expertise in-store. A new community room has been installed at the store to host these events.
The new store will include a brand new farm shop and roof garden from the Partnership’s Leckford Estate, as well as the first ever Waitrose Cookery School inside a John Lewis & Partners shop, offering cooking classes. The shop will also offer a tailored range of more than 1,600 John Lewis products including, gifting, home making, kitchen gadgets, cookware, dining and seasonal lines.
These will be available through integrated displays around the store alongside relevant Waitrose lines, as well as in a dedicated John Lewis area. This will include a new Partnership Service Desk at which customers will be able to book free and paid-for events, as well as make service bookings (e.g. food made to order) and pick up their click and collect orders.
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The new shop will also include the first Waitrose & Partners Cookery School that will offer customers cookery classes. Pop-up workshops including barista and photography courses will take place across the store and there will be opportunities for customers to learn new skills such as wreath-making and modern calligraphy.
John Lewis’s Customer Experience Director, Peter Cross described the new concept shop as an example of how the retailers is “reinventing the department store” to make it stand out from the competition. “Our new concept shop is an example of how we’re reinventing the department store of the future.”