John Lewis is hoping to tap into the promise of localism with a dual-pronged strategy combining the rollout of smaller, service-orientated outlets with the integration of its brand into Waitrose stores, as the partnership fights a £517m pre-tax loss in 2020.

Looking to capitalise on the shift to remote working, John Lewis will open several stores in neighbourhood locations. These will offer a mix of services, alterations, home consultations and personal styling, with a curated edit of products that will change on a regular basis.

These service-orientated local shops will be complemented by destination stores in city centres offering new product, food and drink and services customers cannot access online. This will be accompanied by an expanded click-and-collect network extending to more Waitrose stores and local collection points with third parties, such as the Co-op.

There is a desire to bring the partnership’s brands closer together. By the end of the year all general merchandise sold in Waitrose will be John Lewis branded and the organisation is also trialling John Lewis “inserts” in five Waitrose stores. Initial signs are positive, with the intention being to introduce the John Lewis concept to a significant number of the partnership’s 331 Waitrose shops.

The decision to switch to local formats and bring the two brands closer together is the product of intensive research over the past six months, according to executive director of John Lewis, Pippa Wicks.

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