John Lewis plans to launch hundreds of shop-in-shops inside Waitrose stores and is also plotting a smaller “local” format as part of a radical overhaul of its portfolio.
The Partnership’s new chair, Dame Sharon White, wants most of Waitrose’s 331 supermarkets to contain a John Lewis implant within the next 12 to 18 months, according to The Sunday Times.
John Lewis opened its fifth shop-in-shop inside a Waitrose at the grocer’s Wallingford branch during February, but White has ambitious plans to roll out the format across the country as it reshapes its store estate.
White is also drawing up a blueprint for a smaller “local” format, inspired by a similar move by Nordstrom in the US.
It comes amid plans to shutter as many as eight more department stores, which are likely to be unveiled alongside the Partnership’s full-year results on March 11.
Since taking the helm at the John Lewis Partnership, White has been overhauling the embattled business, which was already confronting challenges before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
The creation of implants in Waitrose grocery stores would have aspects in common with the approach Sainsbury’s has taken with its Argos business by reducing property costs, enabling cross-selling and offering a wide-ranging general merchandise range online.
However some observers wonder whether a full department store-style offer could be offered in such a way and whether the appeal of John Lewis – such as its standards of service and advice – could be eroded.
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