John Lewis adds 100 new brands to improve fashion offer

The department store is adding many new men’s and women’s clothing lines from well-known British fashion brands and newer labels, according to The Telegraph. 

New products coming this autumn include a special collection from luxury bag maker Mulberry, with 25 different bags and accessories, plus upmarket brands like Akyn, By Malene Birger and Iro.

It is also adding outdoor gear from Japan’s Snowpeak and coats from Newcastle designer Nigel Cabourn. John Lewis already sells 650 different clothing brands on its website.

Other changes include updating old stores and hiring more shop workers. Around £800m is being invested in the John Lewis brand, while money will also be spent updating Waitrose stores.

This focus on fashion puts John Lewis in direct competition with Next and M&S, which have been expanding their clothing ranges and following a marketplace strategy with partner brands for years.

Market research from GlobalData shows Next has increased its share of the clothing and shoe market from 5.1% to 6% between 2019 and 2024, while Marks & Spencer has grown from 4.6% to 4.9%.

Meanwhile, John Lewis’ market share has stayed the same at 1.5%.

John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis said the “sky is the limit” on how much growth John Lewis could see in fashion, and the clothing department could more than double revenue from £1.2bn per year to £2.5bn.

Along with new brand partnerships, John Lewis is also improving its own clothing lines. The business is launching its biggest-ever cashmere collection this autumn and expects this to increase cashmere sales by at least 20% this year.

John Lewis director of fashion Rachel Morgans said the team was “carefully curating a premium quality range that offers customers something different” to try to convince shoppers to come into its stores over rival retailers.

She said: “When it comes to brands, we’re not chasing numbers, but focusing on those that appeal to our customers and offer something new.”