John Lewis is embarking on a major fashion expansion, adding 100 new menswear and womenswear brands to its stores as it seeks to strengthen its clothing offer against competitors Next and Marks & Spencer.
The new lineup will include collections from high-end labels such as Mulberry, which is preparing an exclusive range of 25 bags and accessories, alongside brands like Akyn, By Malene Birger and Iro. Japanese outdoor label Snowpeak and outerwear by Newcastle designer Nigel Cabourn will also join the mix. John Lewis currently carries around 650 clothing brands.
The move follows an earlier push this year, when the retailer introduced 49 new fashion labels for the spring/summer season, including ranges linked to Harry Styles and Alexa Chung. It is part of a wider turnaround program worth US $ 1.02 billion, which includes refurbishing stores, hiring more shop floor staff, and investing in refreshing its Waitrose supermarkets.
The initiative is being led by Peter Ruis, who joined last year to oversee the department stores. Ruis, who has more than 30 years of fashion experience at Jigsaw and Anthropologie, said the strategy was about giving customers more reasons to shop in John Lewis stores.
Market figures from Global Data show that while Next and M&S have expanded their share of the UK clothing and footwear market since 2019, John Lewis has remained flat at 1.5%. Ruis has suggested there is significant potential for growth, with an ambition to more than double clothing revenue from US $ 1.54 billion to US $ 3.2 billion.
In addition to new branded ranges, the retailer is expanding its own-label collections, including its largest-ever cashmere offering this autumn, which it expects will boost cashmere sales by at least 20%. Rachel Morgans, John Lewis’s fashion director, said the retailer is carefully curating a premium-quality range that offers customers something different, with a focus on brands that appeal to shoppers rather than simply expanding numbers.
