New or refurbished stores are always a source of excitement for me, which is why I was delighted to accept an invitation from John Lewis to take a look at their newly refurbished Bluewater store.
The £10m investment marks the largest from the Partnership in four years. Taking twenty weeks, 90% of the store has been changed, and it shows.
And amongst that, John Lewis unveiled two brand new concepts, delivering its first-ever 650 square metre Gifting Emporium and the biggest-ever change to its Home department.
,The new Gifting Emporium, spanning an area roughly the size of three tennis courts, is home to almost 1,800 new products and 14 new brands, designed to offer inspiration and a curated selection of gifts for all occasions that customers can explore first hand. These are grouped by passion points such as ‘Home Lover’, ‘Hobbies & Adventure’, ‘Botanist’, ‘Foodie’, ‘Spa & Wellbeing’, and ‘Kids’.
In parallel, the Bluewater store debuts the biggest-ever change to John Lewis’s Home department. Moving beyond individual products, the new concept invites customers to shop by inspiration. Everyone passionate about interiors can experience their dream space with five distinct styles curated by in-house designers: ‘Heritage’, ‘Modern Lux’, ‘Scandi’, ‘Rustic’, and ‘Timeless’. This new ‘shop by style’ approach is designed to inspire, helping customers discover and create a complete look.
Bluewater is the first store to feature these flagship concepts, which are set to be rolled out to more John Lewis stores.
The biggest refurbishment of a John Lewis in four years, the Bluewater store has seen all corners of its 31,000 square metre store transformed. Beyond the new Gifting and Home concepts, the refurbishment includes a reimagined Beauty Hall with new premium brands like Fenty, Byredo, and Medik8, along with expanded Men’s and Women’s Fashion departments and a new Waterstones shop-in-shop. This is part of the brand’s £800m multi-year investment project, reinforcing John Lewis’s commitment to providing customers with unparalleled shopping experiences.
Jason Wilary-Attew, Director of Home at John Lewis, said: “From weddings, new babies, and thoughtful thank yous, John Lewis has long been the home of year-round gifting. This year we are turbo charging that with the launch of our first Gifting Emporium.
“I’m equally thrilled to unveil the biggest transformation we’ve ever made to the Home department. Our new lifestyle-led concept, built around five distinct styles, is designed to inspire customers and make it easier than ever to create a look they love. Bluewater is the perfect destination to touch, see, and feel both of these incredible new experiences first-hand, and we look forward to introducing them to more of our stores in the future.”
Great retail should inspire, and this is exactly what this store does, the grand central atrium providing a focal point, to which has been added a huge digital screen, amplifying the sense of theatre.
It all adds up to underlining that the department store is not dead, just mediocre ones.