John Lewis has launched two major new retail concepts at its newly refurbished Bluewater store, including its first-ever 650 sq m Gifting Emporium and a transformed Home department. The updates mark the biggest refurbishment of a John Lewis store in four years, following a near £10m investment and forming part of the retailer’s wider £800m multi-year investment strategy.
Spanning an area equivalent to three tennis courts, the Gifting Emporium introduces nearly 1,800 new products and 14 new brands. It is designed to help customers discover gifts across curated passion points, including ‘Home Lover’, ‘Hobbies & Adventure’, ‘Botanist’, ‘Foodie’, ‘Spa & Wellbeing’, and ‘Kids’.
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.”
At the same time, Bluewater is the first location to debut the retailer’s new lifestyle-driven Home department. Moving away from shopping by product type, the space now showcases full interior concepts across five curated design styles: ‘Heritage’, ‘Modern Lux’, ‘Scandi’, ‘Rustic’, and ‘Timeless’.
“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,” Wilary-Attew added. “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.”
The Bluewater refurbishment covers the entire 31,000 sq m store and includes a revamped Beauty Hall featuring new premium brands such as Fenty, Byredo and Medik8. Updates also extend to refreshed Men’s and Women’s Fashion departments and a new Waterstones shop-in-shop.
Brands newly introduced to the Gifting Emporium and available online include &K Amsterdam, Bon Ton Toys, The Conran Shop, Ralph Lauren’s home and fragrance ranges, Crosley, and IND!E – a platform supporting independent makers and small businesses.
These flagship concepts are expected to roll out across additional John Lewis locations in the future as part of the brand’s continued focus on delivering experience-led retail environments.
