// John Lewis will offer bookable shopping slots and virtual queuing in shops upon reopening
// Customers can also collect their orders from 15 Waitrose and 16 John Lewis car parks
// Customers can pre-book a visit online to any John Lewis shop including those in Scotland and Wales
John Lewis has outlined plans on how to reopen shops in England with new steps to deliver “fuss-free” shopping to customers this Christmas.
The department store chain will offer bookable shopping slots and virtual queuing in shops upon reopening on December 2, once the lockdown ends.
In addition to more than 900 click-and-collect locations available across the UK, customers can also collect their orders from 15 Waitrose and 16 John Lewis car parks where they can stay in their car while staff bring their purchases to them.
READ MORE: John Lewis & Waitrose Christmas advert “celebrates kindness” during pandemic
Customers will be able to pre-book their visit online to any John Lewis shop including those in Scotland and Wales prior to arrival.
From December 2, customers can visit johnlewis.com and pre-book a slot to visit their local shop up to 14 days in advance of their visit.
They will receive a confirmation email once they have booked and will be asked to show this on arrival at their chosen shop.
For those visiting a John Lewis shop, if there are queues outside, customers may be added to a virtual queue.
“We’re excited to reopen our shops in England and we’re looking forward to welcoming back our customers to help them make this Christmas extra special,” John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks said.
“Our priority is to make sure that they are able to shop as safely and easily as they can, whether in our shops or online, while continuing to be delighted and inspired by our Christmas offer.
“While the nation is famous for it’s love of queuing, we want to make sure that as temperatures drop, our customers have the chance to do their Christmas shopping in a comfortable, convenient way, however they choose to shop with us.
“Our Partners have been busy making our shops look and feel as festive as ever and we hope that they will bring our customers some Christmas cheer as they prepare for the festive season.”
John Lewis will also extend trading hours in the run up to Christmas in an effort to gain footfall over a longer period so customers can continue to shop safely.
Shops are supporting the John Lewis and Waitrose ‘Give A Little Love’ campaign which is aiming to raise £4 million for two charities: FareShare, which helps those facing food poverty and Home-Start, which works with parents who need support.
Customers will be able to buy ‘Give A Little Love’ products ranging from mugs to t-shirts and the heart umbrella, which features in this year’s Christmas advert.
The majority of shops will be open from 9am-5pm on Christmas Eve.
Stores will be closed on Boxing Day (with the exception of Trafford) and New Year’s Day.
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