John Lewis opens gifting emporium at Bluewater in major retail overhaul

John Lewis has launched its first gifting emporium as part of the retailer’s most ambitious store transformation in four years, under an £800 million turnaround strategy. The shop, located at the refurbished Bluewater store in Kent, required an investment of nearly £10 million. The employee-owned group is dedicating £32 million to update its stores this year, including the 650 square metre emporium. The move aims to reconnect with customers following a prolonged period of declining sales, pandemic-related setbacks, and unpopular cost-reduction measures.

The gifting emporium consolidates approximately 1,800 products from fourteen brands, arranged by themes such as home lover, foodie, and spa and wellbeing. This marks a significant change in the retailer’s approach to its home division. Instead of choosing individual pieces, customers are encouraged to discover five complete interior styles curated by in-house designers: heritage, modern lux, Scandi, rustic, and timeless. This curation is designed to streamline decision-making and revitalise a department that has struggled in an increasingly digital landscape.

John Lewis, operating thirty-four department stores, has grappled with fierce competition from Marks and Spencer, as well as the consequences of overexpansion leading to surplus retail space. Previous closures, redundancies, and reduced bonuses, led by former chair Dame Sharon White, harmed the brand and affected employee morale. Now, with Jason Tarry, formerly of Tesco, at the helm as chairman alongside executive director Peter Ruis, the business is implementing a back-to-basics strategy. Their plan focuses on leveraging home, beauty, and hospitality to attract younger shoppers and reinvigorate growth.

Recent initiatives include a collaboration with Topshop and upgrades to beauty halls in six additional stores, including Bluewater, Solihull, and Cambridge. The flagship Oxford Street beauty hall was redeveloped earlier this year, seeking to capture market share left vacant by Debenhams. Marks and Spencer is also expanding its beauty offering, introducing brands such as Estée Lauder and Clinique. Jason Wilary-Attew, director of home at John Lewis, remarked that gifting has always been central to the brand, but the launch of the gifting emporium represents a significant step forward. He emphasised that the revamped home department, with its five distinct interior styles, is intended to inspire customers and simplify the creation of cohesive looks.

Bluewater is positioned as an ideal venue for customers to experience these new concepts, and the retailer plans to introduce similar transformations across further stores in due course.