John Lewis is set to allow fashion brands to sell via its website directly for the first time as it pushes ahead with a bold digital transformation strategy.

More than 100 fashion brands will be added to John Lewis’ range over the coming year thanks to the new initiative, which will see its ecommerce website transform into an upmarket fashion marketplace akin to Zalando.

Over the coming six months, John Lewis expects to introduce 40 new brands to its online store including plus-size lingerie brand Oola and menswear brands like Raging Bull Spoke London.

The department store said it would also expand its more affordable fashion ranges like Crew Clothing, Dorina Lingerie and Lands’ End online in response to demand from customers.

“We’ve offered customers the option to buy larger branded home products directly from suppliers via johnlewis.com for a number of years and we’re now expanding this into fashion, providing customers with even greater choice,” John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks said.

“As part of our plans to modernise the John Lewis brand, we’re expanding both the number of fashion brands and the range of those we already sell on johnlewis.com. In the future, we plan to bring onboard and expand many more of our fashion brands, giving customers even more of what they love.”

It forms part of the department store’s wider push online in response to both the pandemic and a pre-pandemic shifting of attitudes, a strategy mirrored by its rival Marks & Spencer.

This digital transformation strategy aims to see 60-70 per cent of all its sales made via online channels by 2025.

Via Charged Retail