A Jamie Oliver Cookery School and Cafe opened in John Lewis Oxford Street yesterday as part of the department store chain’s wider plans to grow the hospitality offer in its stores to attract more shoppers.
Spanning over 4,600 sq. ft. on the third floor of the store, the space includes two Cookery School classrooms and a 50-seat Jamie Oliver Cafe. The retailer stated that the opening was in response to the growing demand from customers to combine shopping with eating and drinking, with hospitality sales in John Lewis up 6% over the last twelve months.
One in five transactions made in a John Lewis shop now takes place in a café or restaurant, making it a key element of its in-store strategy. Last year, the retailer’s own ‘Place to Eat’ restaurants were visited by three-quarters of a million more customers than the previous year.
Five more cafe and restaurant openings are planned to take place this year, taking the total space given to hospitality up by 11,000 sq. ft. by the end of the year and the total number of cafes and restaurants in John Lewis shops to 62. Building on its existing eight sites, new Ori Caffes will be opened in Liverpool and Solihull stores later this year, offering a Mediterranean style menu. Another cafe is planned to open in its Southampton store.
As well as permanent fixtures, John Lewis revealed that it was planning more seasonal pop-ups in its shops. Next month, the ground floor of its Peter Jones outlet will be transformed with a pop-up floral centrepiece wine bar, serving a selection of English wine to coincide with the Chelsea Flower Show.
Katie Papakonstantinou, Director of Services & Hospitality for John Lewis, said: “Opening the Jamie Oliver Cookery School and Cafe is a fantastic addition to our Oxford Street store.
“Whether it’s a chance to ponder a purchase, or an escape from the bustle of the shop floor, having a varied and exciting assortment of hospitality offerings within our stores is vital for our customer experience. It’s why we are continuing to invest in new offerings, and why by the end of the year we plan to have over 60 dedicated hospitality spaces across our 36 stores.”
The investment in hospitality is part of John Lewis’s wider store transformation plan, with refurbishments and makeovers planned across its estate this year. Liverpool and Bluewater stores will go through major refurbishments, and five Beauty Halls will receive revamps alongside other improvements across the store portfolio.
