As the battle for every gifting Christmas pound hots up, John Lewis has unveiled two new concepts in the gifting and home spaces at its completely refurbished Bluewater, Kent, store.

Following a near-£10m investment and becoming the biggest refurbishment of a John Lewis store in four years, the Bluewater anchor has seen every aspect of the 31,000 sq m store transformed. This includes a completely reimagined Beauty Hall plus expanded Men’s and Women’s Fashion departments.

But star of the reopening is its first-ever 650 sq m Gifting Emporium alongside the biggest-ever change to its Home department.

The retailer says the “ambitious overhaul” comes in response to customer demand, with visits to the brand’s online gifting hub up 15% compared to this time last year. 

The new Emporium is home to almost 1,800 new products and 14 new brands, “designed to offer inspiration and a curated selection of gifts for all occasions that customers can explore first hand”.

These are grouped by ‘passion points’ such as Home Lover, Hobbies & Adventure, Botanist, Foodie, Spa & Wellbeing, and Kids.

The wider store transformation includes the reimagined Beauty Hall featuring new premium brands such as Fenty, Byredo, and Medik8.

In parallel, the Bluewater store also debuts its new concept Home department. “Moving beyond individual products”, it invites customers to “shop by inspiration”.

There are five distinct styles curated by in-house designers: Heritage, Modern Lux, Scandi, Rustic, and Timeless, with the new approach designed to “inspire, helping customers discover and create a complete look”.

John Lewis noted these flagship concepts are also set to be rolled out to more John Lewis stores, although no timeline was given.

Jason Wilary-Attew, director of Home at John Lewis, said: “From weddings, new babies, and thoughtful ‘thank yous’, John Lewis has long been the home of year-round gifting. This year we are turbo charging that with the launch of our first Gifting Emporium.

“Bluewater is the perfect destination to touch, see, and feel both of these incredible new experiences first-hand and we look forward to introducing them to more of our stores.”

Part of the brand’s £800 million multi-year investment project the retailer said it’s aimed at “reinforcing John Lewis’s commitment to providing customers with unparalleled shopping experiences”.