John Lewis is set to open a VIP area in its London flagship shop on Oxford Street for members of its loyalty card scheme.
The retailer will open the lounge on Tuesday as it accelerates its plans to revamp and update its department stores.
It said the VIP area would be trialled until Christmas. Customers will receive a free glass of sparkling wine or coffee, Waitrose chocolates, as well as hand and arm massages.
Members of My John Lewis can book slots or walk in, depending on availability, and bring two guests with them. The space can accommodate up to 30 customers per hour.
This forms part of the retailer’s drive to bring back customers to its stores.
It is recruiting more shop floor staff and has embarked on its biggest-ever Christmas recruitment drive, while also spending around £800m on its stores as well as refreshing Waitrose supermarkets.
John Lewis brand director Rosie Hanley said: “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.”
She added that the lounge has been introduced to reward loyalty “with a premium experience”.
The new space is under trial after John Lewis saw a surge in loyalty card sign-ups. Members are now at 3.8 million, after they jumped 13% over the past year.
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