BRIEF

As e-commerce reshapes shopping habits, John Lewis need to give customers more compelling reasons to visit their stores. The challenge is to create a sensory experience that online shopping can't offer; one that brings the John Lewis brand to life through the atmosphere, emotion and discovery of being in store.

SOLUTION

Our Sensory Prescriptions® became the golden thread through the design process, connecting interiors, lighting, texture, colour, sound and scent through a shared sensory strategy. They gave different disciplines a common understanding of the intended customer experience, guiding decisions around how each space should look, sound, feel and function.

Drawing on sensory neuroscience, we developed Sensory Prescriptions® to deliver the desired customer experience through coordinated sensory cues. Departments share a recognisable sensory signature, while expressing distinct identities that enhance the presentation of products and convey the emotions associated with them. These differences also support sensory wayfinding, helping customers intuitively navigate the store through changes in atmosphere, without adding more visual signage and noise.

Research into nature’s influence on well-being informed the strategy, alongside consideration of sensory sensitivities and neurodivergent needs. Together, these insights helped shape environments designed to invite exploration and make customers feel comfortable and welcome.

Within designated brand areas, tailored soundscapes, scents and sensory details translate the strategy into tangible experiences. These elements work alongside the interiors to support interaction and reinforce the John Lewis identity, embedding the sensory strategy into the whole customer journey.

RESULTS

The Horsham concept store has brought this shared sensory strategy to life. Trial findings indicate increased footfall, longer dwell times, improved customer satisfaction and higher sales.

Beyond the individual interventions, the sensory approach establishes a common framework for design teams - connecting decisions across disciplines to the experience of the customer, and providing a foundation for a more consistent and holistic approach across future stores.