First look: Inside John Lewis’ ‘experience playground’

JLP Southampton Experience Desk

Department store group John Lewis & Partners and grocery stablemate Waitrose & Partners have opened the doors to a new-model store designed to engage consumers more than ever by putting experience and services centre stage.

 The John Lewis and Waitrose branch in Southampton’s Westquay shopping centre includes a variety of firsts, such as a parent John Lewis Partnership Leckford Estate-branded arm shop and roof garden and a Waitrose Cookery School, as well as the latest iterations of services including personal styling and beauty advice.

As well as conventional navigation, the shop has also been designed to be navigable by experience, in order to create a “social shopping” environment in which to “wrap” product. An experience desk on the middle of the entry floor provides a launchpad for the customer journey and a menu of options.

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