John Lewis broadens ‘experiential retail’ offer as part of £800m transformation
John Lewis is accelerating its shift towards ‘experiential retail’ by expanding existing - and bringing in new - specialist concessions to its stores across “luxury piercing”, wellness, travel and fine art.
Powered by the retailer’s £800 million brand transformation programme, which includes four store refurbishments this year, John Lewis is developing vibrant destinations “where shopping meets discovery, world-class expertise and memorable experiences”.
Jewellery and piercing brand Tish Lyon is more than doubling its presence across John Lewis this year, delivering safe, premium piercing and jewellery welding services, with solid 14k gold jewellery fitted by elite piercers in bespoke studios.
Meanwhile, Randox Health is more than doubling its existing in-store clinics in John Lewis stores, providing customers with the ability to proactively track their health through accessible blood testing and wellness assessments.
New bespoke travel services are being introduced by Audley Travel, which is launching interactive in-store travel hubs across 12 John Lewis stores from November 2026.
The services will include “end-to-end holiday planning”, with destination specialists across more than 90 worldwide destinations, including private safaris, cruises, beach stays, “cultural escapes” and milestone celebrations. It will be the first time Audley Travel has had a high street presence in its 30-year history.
Another new in-store addition is the UK’s largest art gallery group, Clarendon Fine Art, which will be opening dedicated galleries in three branches by early October, offering personalised art consultancy and access to curated contemporary fine art and 20th-century masters. Artists such as Mr Brainwash and The Connor Brothers, through to 20th-century masters such as L.S. Lowry, Picasso and Keith Haring, feature in the collection.
Katie Papakonstantinou, Director of Services and Hospitality at John Lewis, said: “Our stores are the beating heart of the John Lewis brand, and physical retail is undergoing an exciting revolution. Today’s shoppers want far more than products on shelves; they want inspiration, helpful expertise and extraordinary experiences.
“By uniting world-class specialist partners like Clarendon Fine Art and Audley Travel with our core expertise, we are transforming our stores into dynamic destinations that drive footfall and build customer loyalty.”
The new concessions complement popular existing partnerships like Tapi and David Clulow Opticians at John Lewis, as the appetite for in-person expertise is “on the rise”. Demand for John Lewis’s advisory services rose by over 5% in the first half of the year.
Earlier this month, the John Lewis Partnership reported a “sales slide” as rising costs and investment weighed on first-half-year results.
While the company reported a 2% increase in sales to £6.3 billion, as growth at Waitrose offset weaker demand at John Lewis, loss before tax and exceptional items widened by £55 million to £89 million in the 26 weeks to 1 August 2026, as investment increased by 29% to £246 million.
John Lewis also added that its refurbished stores were outperforming the wider estate, with the retailer’s £50 million investment across Glasgow, Cambridge, Leicester, Reading and Liverpool also part of its wider £800 million transformation programme.
Customer satisfaction also remained “strong” across its brands, with shoppers responding positively to its investments.
During the first half of the year, John Lewis introduced more than 100 brands and products, launched a ‘Sport and Wellness’ concept and prepared for a website refresh. Its ‘Platter’ hospitality proposition is expected to reach 32 cafés and restaurants by the end of 2027.
The retailer also partnered with Rixo on its biggest fashion collaboration to date, as well as with womenswear designers Amanda Wakeley, Rejina Pyo and Labrum.
