Department store group John Lewis is rolling out shop-in-shops devoted to children's furniture and furnishings to capture the ground between mail-order specialists and high street groups such as Next.
The children's furnishings departments will offer parents 'total room solutions', with a 150-line assortment spanning furniture, linens, rugs and fixtures.
The playground assault will benefit from a multimedia launch, with a 36-page catalogue called Just For Kids and items available on johnlewis.com.
The retailer is increasingly tailoring its offer to suit lucrative niche markets, and last year successfully introduced Kids Kitsch departments to target 'tweenage' girls.
'We started work on the project more than a year ago and over the period there has been an awful lot of activity on the high street and in mail order,' said furniture buyer Vicki Glaister. 'We are trying to bridge the gap between the two.'
John Lewis has drawn on its expertise as a full-range department store to create assemble the new range. The merchandise has child-friendly themes, such as fairies, the sea and dinosaurs, with price points that range from£5 to£495.
In February, the new departments will make their debut in six stores, including the Oxford Street and Peter Jones. 'This is something that, because of its structure, will be a success,' said Glaister.
'It will be the product that may or may not be right. There will be an ongoing process of review.'
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