John Lewis has announced its ambition to grow its own-brand Home business to £1b of annual revenue by 2020. In addition to this, the retailer plans to continue to expand its exclusive relationships with external brands.
The department store plans to build on its success by placing design credentials and quality firmly at the heart of its growth plans. Key to this is the introduction of its new Design Project collection this Autumn, a 250-piece collection designed in-house that will focus on thoughtful design, targeted at customers looking to introduce progressive contemporary pieces into their home.
The retailer will also continue to build its existing own brands - including House, which is focused on meeting the needs of 'generation rent', and Croft, drawing upon timeless designs using natural luxurious materials.
John Lewis also recently launched a string of exclusive collaborations with external brands, including Loaf and West Elm, and dining chain Leon. The Loaf collection will include five exclusively-designed pieces available in 22 fabrics. John Lewis is also the only stockist of West Elm, another key external partner, outside of its own shops - with the brand soon to be rolled out to a total of nine branches.
The retailer offers an extensive range of home services, allowing customers to personalise and design every room in their home to suit their individual needs with the help of expert John Lewis Partners. Services include Home Design consultation, Any Sofa Any Fabric – in which sofa models can be brought to life in hundreds of different fabric combinations – fitted furniture, custom-made window dressings and many more.
John Lewis recently invested £14m in its flagship Oxford Street Home department, and has opened new Home Hub departments at its new branches in Horsham, Basingstoke and Birmingham - a dedicated area bringing together all of John Lewis’ home services. New shops opening in Chelmsford and Leeds this year will also contain Home Hubs.
Christine Kasoulis, buying director for Home at John Lewis, says: "£1b sales from our own brand will be a landmark milestone for John Lewis, and it's a reflection of our belief in our John Lewis design credentials and assortment. I’m passionate about the products our in-house design team are creating, and this ambition will be led by our latest collection, Design Project. It’s a visually arresting collection with items which are thoughtfully designed and made from the best materials."
John Lewis home products are also seeing success on a global scale through the development of John Lewis shop-in-shops with international retail partners, the latest of which is Arnotts in Ireland.
