What: John Lewis opens its 2025 Christmas shop nationwide, introducing exclusive collaborations, new in-store experiences, and expanded festive offerings.

Why it is important: This launch demonstrates how leading retailers are extending the festive season and investing in exclusive partnerships and experiences to drive customer engagement and operational excellence.

John Lewis has launched its 2025 Christmas shop across all stores and online, unveiling a diverse range of festive products including themed decorations, advent calendars, and gifts. The retailer is emphasizing four main Christmas  themes and has introduced exclusive collaborations, such as a bauble collection with Sara Miller and decorations inspired by Netflix’s Stranger Things. Personalized offerings, including bespoke chocolates and gin, as well as a debut teddy bear repair service, highlight the brand’s focus on customization and experience. In-store activities, from fragrance workshops to tree decorating classes and musical entertainment, are designed to create a memorable and interactive shopping environment. Despite reporting a 4% increase in sales to £6.2bn and a 5% rise in revenue for the first half of 2025, John Lewis faces a widened operating loss of £38m. Leadership remains optimistic, with a focus on long-term strategy and confidence in a strong performance during the golden quarter, underscoring the retailer’s commitment to innovation and customer-centricity.

IADS Notes: John Lewis’s early Christmas shop launch mirrors Macy’s “100 Days to Christmas” campaign (Retail Dive, September 2025), while its record recruitment drive and operational investments reflect a sector-wide focus on peak trading excellence (Retail Week, September 2025; Retail Gazette, October 2024). The retailer’s exclusive partnerships and experiential offerings build on a series of strategic collaborations and in-store innovations reported throughout 2025, including the Rejina Pyo collection (Drapers, July 2025), the Caffè Nero expansion (Drapers, December 2024), and the Jamie Oliver cookery school (The Retail Bulletin, May 2025). Despite deepening losses, John Lewis’s continued investment in store upgrades and digital infrastructure, as noted in September 2025 (Retail Week, Drapers), demonstrates a long-term commitment to customer experience and market relevance.

John Lewis opens Christmas shop nationwide