Waterstones is set to return to London’s bustling Oxford Street, marking a new collaboration with John Lewis.
- The bookshop will be located on the second floor of John Lewis and will open on 8 October.
- Approximately 20,000 books spanning fiction, non-fiction, and children’s genres will be available.
- Waterstones aims to provide a hub for author signings and customer guidance with its expert booksellers.
- The partnership aligns with John Lewis’s commitment to enhancing the customer shopping experience.
Waterstones is making a notable comeback to Oxford Street through a strategic partnership with John Lewis, a move that promises to enrich the retail landscape of this busy shopping district. The bookshop will be prominently situated on the second floor of John Lewis’s flagship store, strategically placed beside the café to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for customers enjoying a coffee while perusing the extensive range of titles.
Set to open its doors on 8 October, the Waterstones at John Lewis will offer nearly 20,000 books, providing an extensive selection that includes not only popular fiction and informative non-fiction but also a dedicated section for children’s literature. This variety ensures that customers of all ages and interests will find something to engage with.
The initiative is a significant return for Waterstones, which at one time operated four separate locations along Oxford Street, all of which had closed by 2016. This new shop-in-shop format allows Waterstones to re-establish its presence in a prime location, adapting to current retail trends and consumer behaviours by integrating into a larger department store environment.
Waterstones Chief Operating Officer, Kate Skipper, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the iconic status of the John Lewis department store and the comprehensive range of books that will be on offer. She noted that the new shop will serve as a community hub, facilitating author signings and offering expert customer guidance to enhance the shopping experience.
Similarly, John Lewis’s director of services and hospitality, Katie Papakonstantinou, remarked on the compatibility between the two brands, suggesting that both share similar values and a commitment to providing exemplary customer service. She emphasized that this partnership represents another investment in the overall customer proposition, enhancing both their product and service offerings.
This collaboration between Waterstones and John Lewis signifies a strategic enhancement of Oxford Street’s retail experience.
