John Lewis has created a dedicated smart-home technology section in its Oxford Street flagship store.
1,000 sq ft of space has been set aside by the retailer to showcase smart technology designed for use in the home. According to John Lewis, compared to a year ago its website has reported 18 times as many customers searching for smart home products. As a category, sales of these items increased by 81% year on year from 2014 to 2015.
Launched on 7 April, customers exploring the new section will be served by specially trained staff across four interactive areas showcasing products for the kitchen, for entertainment, sleep and home monitoring.
With smart IoS integration, customers will be able to control appliances in their home through their smart devices. This could include regulating heat, turning appliances on and off, or ordering your groceries from a touch screen built into the door of your fridge.
“Smart home technology is designed to make life more convenient, and the introduction of this new curated experience – the first on the high street – marks a brilliant step in innovation for John Lewis,” said Innovation Manager at John Lewis John Vary.
“Showcasing the latest smart products, this experience demonstrates in a real-life setting, how technology has exciting and far reaching implications for today‘s lifestyles.”
This is the latest step towards a greater smart-home offering for John Lewis. In 2015 the company partnered with Alfred Smart Home to host a party in Shoreditch. Alfred was a finalist in John Lewis‘ JLAB start-up programme, and created an app which provided one central portal from which users could control all of their connected devices.
The department store chain is planning to roll out similar sections to selected stores, starting with its new Leeds outlet, which is scheduled to open in autumn this year.
