By Benson Daniel
John Lewis is turning to celebrity conversations and social media video in a bid to ensure its products remain visible as shoppers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to search for what they want to buy.
The British department store chain is launching a new YouTube chatshow called Gift List, hosted by television presenter Angela Scanlon. The six episode series will feature guests discussing memorable presents they have given or received, with broadcaster Louis Theroux among those appearing on the first programme. Episodes will run towards Christmas, with further instalments possible if the format proves successful.
The unusual marketing move reflects a significant change in how consumers discover products. Rather than relying solely on conventional search engines, shoppers are increasingly asking AI tools for recommendations, comparisons and ideas before making purchasing decisions.
John Lewis said searches for its products through AI systems had risen sharply over the past year. Managing director Peter Ruis said the proportion of customers using large language models such as ChatGPT to search for products had increased from just 0.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent, with usage growing rapidly across different age groups.
The retailer believes that producing more video and social media content can help it remain part of those conversations. Clips from the new programme will be distributed across social platforms, giving the company a steady stream of material that can be discovered, discussed and referenced online.
John Lewis has also opened a new studio at its flagship Oxford Street store where influencers will be able to produce content regularly. The strategy marks a shift from traditional retail advertising towards a model in which retailers seek to influence the information ecosystem that AI systems use when generating recommendations.
The company has already been preparing for the growth of AI assisted shopping. In March, John Lewis announced plans to make its products available through AI platforms including Google Gemini and ChatGPT, with customers eventually able to complete purchases through third party applications as the technology becomes available.
That investment reflects a wider transformation in online shopping. AI systems are increasingly becoming an intermediary between consumers and retailers, changing the traditional journey in which a shopper searches on a website, compares products and then visits an individual retailer.
For John Lewis, appearing in an AI generated recommendation could become just as important as ranking prominently in conventional search results.
The company is also trying to use social media trends more quickly. Its new studio is intended to allow influencers and experts to produce content around emerging interests, seasonal events and cultural moments, potentially giving the retailer a stronger presence in the online discussions that shape consumer choices.
The strategy comes at a difficult time for British retailers. Rising living costs, inflation and higher interest rates have made consumers more cautious about discretionary spending. Ruis said shoppers were being careful with their money, although the retailer experienced strong demand for products such as garden furniture, fans and air conditioning equipment during the summer heatwaves.
John Lewis has also benefited from strong demand in other categories, including toys and technology, as it seeks to distinguish itself from traditional department stores whose businesses are more heavily dependent on fashion and beauty.
Ruis is due to leave his position on September 6 after almost three years and will be replaced by Will Kernan, a non executive board member. The retailer is scheduled to publish its half year results on September 10.
The launch of Gift List therefore represents more than an experiment in entertainment. It is part of John Lewis’s attempt to adapt to a retail environment where the first recommendation a shopper sees may increasingly come from an AI assistant rather than a search engine or a department store website.
As that shift accelerates, retailers are being forced to rethink how they create content, build influence and keep their products in front of consumers who may never begin their shopping journey on the retailer’s own platform.
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