The rebuilt terminal 2 at Heathrow airport has many benefits beyond the bright new environment, faster check-in, streamlined security processes and state of the art facilities. New and refreshed formats abound in both food and retail, and amongst the dazzling displays and illuminated logos one brand shines brightly for the first time in the airport arena.
John Lewis features heavily in the innovation accolades category, a pioneer in format development, developer of own brand and most noticeably in the omni-channel world at the vanguard of click and collect, next day delivery and a host of customer focused initiatives.
It was then only a matter of travel time before the retailer brought its impressive armoury into the highly competitive but lucrative airport locations with a compact proposition, creaming from its enormous assortment an array of impulse items, British classics, seasonal souvenirs and timeless brands.
The store houses mens, womens and childrens areas with selected brands such as Hackett nestling neatly with the John Lewis own brand featuring as a formidable accessories proposition of hats, gloves and scarves for the inclement atmospheres of the Northern Hemisphere as well summer holiday swimsuits for travellers to the South, and an unrivalled array of bags, belts, socks and assorted impulse apparel appropriate for any occasion.
However this is no isolated impulse action. At the heart of the customer connection is the ability to order instore from this British institution for subsequent delivery to over 30 countries. The physical format serves as an ambassador for the brand representing just the tip of the commercial iceberg of buying and selling opportunities.
Flying the flag beyond its natural habitat John Lewis is set to convert customers worldwide in its quest to make the retail world a considerably smaller and coordinated one.
Are you expanding into new opportunities with the help of technology?
Does your assortment allow you to appeal to a wide variety of potential customers?