John Lewis MD to replace millinery with prosecco bar

John Lewis is set to overhaul its more traditional offerings, such as its haberdashery and millinery, in favour of more modern and glitz services - think proseccos bars, beauty treatments and holiday bookings - under the leadership of its first female managing director, Paula Nickolds.

Set to take up the role as of January, 2017, Nickolds revealed a series of plans she aims to implement to rejuvenate the 152 year old department store's offering in an interview before she was appointed John Lewis next managing director. The additional services, which will include bikini waxes, are set to help establish the department store as the place to go to for a "leisure day" out on the town.

John Lewis to offer bikini waxes, prosecco bars and holiday booking services in the near future

"We're modernising to reflect society," said Nickolds. "I wouldn’t say bikini waxes are the most important thing we’re doing, but consumers do want more emotion, engagement, fun and imagination. We’re dialling that up". In order to make room for newer services in store, Nickolds will degrade John Lewis current haberdashery and millinery departments.

The new services features by John Lewis, some of which are currently available in its newest store in Victoria Gate, Leeds, were devised to help boost sales and ignite consumer interest in the department store once more. Sales across John Lewis 48 stores declined in 2015 - the first time since the financial crisis - as underlying profits across John Lewis Partnership, which includes supermarket chain Waitrose, dropped 15 percent during the first half of this year.

Nickolds linked John Lewis meager performance to increasing price pressure from online competitors such as Amazon, as well increasing rivals in the middle market. She also refuted claims interest in department stores was waning, as more consumers choose to browse the high street before searching online at home for the best price.

"They said the same when I joined the firm 22 years ago. Human beings want relationships with brands – an emotional connection," she said. "I love department stores. There is something captivating about a place that you can go and dwell, that, as you walk through the doors, you breathe a sigh of relief".

Nickolds also defended John Lewis's "Never Knowingly Undersold" price-matching policy, which has been under fire recently for not matching prices offered by online competitors. "If you’re going to have beautiful shops and ‘high-touch personal service’, you just cannot compete with a marketplace provider [like Amazon]," she said.

She added that the slogan will remain as it "reflects what we do... We’re spending millions of pounds being the best price on the high street". Nickolds first joined the team at John Lewis in 1994, working as a graduate trainee in its haberdashery department. She went on to hold buying roles in the department stores clothing and furniture departments before being named head of product development in 2006.

Photos: Courtesy of John Lewis