John Lewis launches exclusive private shopping experiences

John Lewis and Partners has launched three new private shopping services at its new Cheltenham store, including after-hours private shopping, aimed at creating a “more tailored personalised experience” for its customers.

The Cheltenham store, which opens today, October 18, will offer big spending clients, those spending a minimum of 10,000 pounds the opportunity to after-hours private shopping, where they can book out the entire department store and have an expert team of John Lewis Partners on hand to create the ultimate bespoke shopping experience.

In a statement, John Lewis and Partners stated that the service is available for both individuals and groups, and customers can curate whatever shopping trip they like: “Whether it’s a special shopping party for a big group of friends and family or one customer wishing to have exclusive use of the shop to design and furnish their home.”

This is just one of over 20 different services and experiences launching at the 115,000 square foot Cheltenham store, which will also include ‘The Shopping List’, John Lewis’s first ever foray into a full service personal shopping experience, where customers simply book an appointment, bring along a list of what they’re looking for - whether that’s specific items or a more general 'to buy for' list - and their very own John Lewis Partner will do the rest.

The service, which is free of charge with mo minimum spend, allows customers to choose from having personal expert assistance and advice whilst they shop, or kicking back with a glass of fizz whilst their John Lewis Partner does all the hard work for them.

John Lewis’ new Cheltenham store to offer after-hours private shopping

Another offering will be the ‘Get My Gifts’ service, where customers can ask a John Lewis Gift Guru to shop their Christmas Gift list, whether it’s finding them the perfect gift for a loved one, a hard-to-buy-for office Secret Santa or filling the whole family’s stockings. The service is free of charge with no minimum spend and can be used all the way up to 5pm on Christmas Eve for last minute shoppers.

The 23 million pound department store will also feature the chain’s biggest ‘Style Studio’ to date, with four personal styling lounges where customers can book a one on one or group style consultation. The store will also be home to John Lewis’s first ever men’s personal styling lounge.

Peter Cross, partner and director, customer experience said in a press release: “In an age of rapidly changing shopping habits there can be nothing more special than your own personal shopper. Previously the reserve of exclusive boutiques for the famous few, this autumn in Cheltenham, with the help of our army of expertly trained Partners, we are bringing the intimacy, luxury and magic of personal shopping to the high street.”

The Cheltenham store is John Lewis’s 51st and one of 15 pilot stores nationwide to be use to trial new ideas and concepts. The store will stock 49,000 products from more than a 1,000 brands, including John Lewis’s newly launched own-label womenswear brand, John Lewis and Partners, and the American label Madewell, which launched in UK shops exclusively with John Lewis earlier this year.

As well as the three new personal and private shopping experiences, other bookable services at the shop’s Experience Desk include John Lewis’s first express Blow Dry bar, nursery advice and home design consultations.

Image: courtesy of John Lewis and Partners