John Lewis is preparing to enter a new era of retail by selling products through artificial intelligence platforms and social media, as the historic department store seeks to attract younger shoppers and modernise its business model.
The retailer has launched a multimillion-pound strategy centred on what it calls “AI-powered shopping”, enabling its products to appear in recommendations generated by chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The move forms part of a wider digital expansion designed to place the brand directly within the new tools consumers increasingly use to search for products and inspiration.
Alongside the push into AI platforms, the chain will also begin trialling sales through TikTok Shop, the fast-growing social commerce marketplace embedded within the TikTok app. Executives hope the initiative will help broaden the appeal of the 162-year-old retailer beyond its traditional customer base.
Under the new system, users interacting with AI chatbots will be able to receive recommendations for John Lewis products when searching for items such as clothing, homeware or gifts.
For example, a customer could ask a chatbot to suggest a spring outfit for a party within a certain budget, and the AI could recommend a shirt stocked by John Lewis if it fits the user’s criteria.
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