John Lewis is to open a VIP space at its Oxford Street store in London as part of a drive to lure customers back, after years in which it has lost ground to rivals including Marks & Spencer.
The retailer is to unveil the John Lewis Lounge on Tuesday, with access for members of its loyalty card scheme, weeks after reporting group losses had nearly tripled to £88m in the first half of this year.
In the area, which the company said would be trialled until Christmas, customers will be served a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or hot drink as well as given hand and arm massages, Waitrose chocolates, and nibbles from the cafe chain Benugo.
The company describes the area as “VIP retreat or third space”, a “haven where members can rest and recharge … a moment of serenity”.
Rosie Hanley, the brand director at John Lewis, said: “Our new John Lewis Lounge is about rewarding loyalty with a premium experience. This trial is a perfect example of our wider strategy investing in our stores to offer unique, service-led experiences that our customers can’t get anywhere else.”
Customers who are signed up to the retailer’s My John Lewis scheme will be able to book slots in advance, or walk in if there is space. Members will be able to bring two guests with them, and the VIP space will be able to accommodate up to 30 customers an hour.
The initiative, which was first reported by the Sunday Telegraph, comes as John Lewis looks to invest in its stores in an attempt to attract customers to its high street stores.
The group said in September, when it reported the losses, that it expected the “macroeconomic environment to remain challenging” but would step up investment so that it was “positioned to deliver full-year profit growth”.
John Lewis Partnership, the parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose, is spending about £800m on refurbishing its department stores and recruiting more floor staff to improve the experience for shoppers.
The retailer traditionally makes all its profit in the second half of the year and expects this year to be the same. Its traditional Christmas advert is typically unveiled in the first half of November.
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The opening of the VIP space follows a successful drive to get more customers to sign up to the My John Lewis loyalty scheme, membership of which has increased by 13% over the past year to 3.8 million people.
The company also operates a My Waitrose loyalty scheme. It plans to launch a joint loyalty card, valid across John Lewis and Waitrose, in the future.
