John Lewis launches personal shopping via Zoom

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 16, 2020

John Lewis is boosting its technology services with the launch of virtual personal shopping via zoom. To start with, the new offer will be available at the Peter Jones branch in London’s Chelsea and at John Lewis in Southampton. 

The launch comes after the retailer had started offering free virtual styling appointments for customers during lockdown. The appointments covered both fashion and interiors and since mid-April, the company has completed 3,500 bookings.

Having proved that virtual sessions can work for it, the retailer has now extended this to personal shopping. The technology allows customers to view various departments over video with an in-store adviser on hand.

Such launches are key as store footfall continues to be historically low, despite last month’s big reopening of non-essential shops.

For John Lewis specifically, the new addition also extends its general move towards more concierge services in recent years and adds to its reputation for strong customer service.

The new offer is free for customers who get a pre-booked 30-minute appointment during which they’ll be shown products selected for them as well as asking questions and viewing other items.