John Lewis introduces new supplier platform as it ups focus on premium brands

Department store John Lewis has introduced a new supplier platform that intends to accelerate the launch of new brands, as the retailer doubles down on a mission to expand its premium offering.

Launched through a partnership with luxury footwear label Russell & Bromley, the new platform intends to make John Lewis more agile when responding to consumer demand, allowing the company to speed up the listing and sales of new brands for its digital presence.

The feature is powered by tech firm Mirakl and serves as a direct-shipping model that cuts the time it takes to bring new products to market. It contributes to wider efforts by John Lewis to elevate its fashion offering through the introduction of premium labels, as highlighted by director of fashion, Rachel Morgans.

In a statement, Morgans said: “This new platform is a huge step on that journey, giving us the agility to bring newness to our customers at speed. The launch of Russell & Bromley is the perfect example of this strategy in action and demonstrates the calibre of brands we are attracting.”

John Lewis had most recently sought to strengthen its omnichannel capabilities through a new “deliver from store” experience, allowing customers to make purchases from store stock to increase product availability.

Its increased focus on fashion, seen in the recent addition of 100 news brands and the launch of its own premium menswear label, comes as part of a wider plan by the retailer to double this side of the business. According to executive director Peter Ruis, who re-joined the company early last year to oversee its transformation, there is already a lot of momentum for the division, thus John Lewis intends to build on existing excitement.