John Lewis unveils two new concepts at refurbished Bluewater store

John Lewis has launched two new concepts at its refurbished store at the Bluewater shopping centre.

The first is the retailer’s debut Gifting Emporium which at 650 square metres spans an area roughly the size of three tennis courts. Home to almost 1,800 new products and 14 new brands, the space offers a selection of gifts for all occasions grouped by passion points such as ‘Home Lover’, ‘Hobbies & Adventure’, ‘Botanist’, ‘Foodie’, ‘Spa & Wellbeing’, and ‘Kids’.

John Lewis said the change was driven by growing customer demand, with visits to its online gifting hub up 15% compared with the same period last year.

The retailer has also unveiled its largest ever transformation of its home department, following a nearly £10 million investment. Moving beyond individual products, the redesigned concept encourages customers to shop by inspiration, featuring five distinct, in-house curated styles: Heritage, Modern Lux, Scandi, Rustic, and Timeless.

Bluewater is the first John Lewis store to showcase the concepts, which will be rolled out to additional  locations.

Marking the largest refurbishment of a John Lewis store in four years, the 31,000-square-metre Bluewater store has been completely transformed. Highlights include a reimagined Beauty Hall featuring premium brands such as Fenty, Byredo, and Medik8, expanded fashion departments, and a new Waterstones shop-in-shop.

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.”