John Lewis has announced a significant investment in AI‑powered shopping that will see its products featured on leading generative AI platforms, including ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

The retailer says it aims to be one of the first UK retailers to fully adopt and integrate this technology. Starting later this year, customers researching products and looking for inspiration on AI tools will be shown John Lewis ranges, with the ability to complete purchases via these apps within a few clicks.

The initiative forms part of John Lewis’ wider £800 million multi‑year transformation programme and builds on its omnichannel strategy of integrating its physical and digital operations. To deliver the new capabilities, John Lewis has extended its partnership with commercetools, an AI‑first digital commerce platform, to tap into its latest AI functionality.

According to the retailer, the move is designed to “meet customers in the apps they are already using”, increasing visibility at the discovery stage of the shopping journey and smoothing the path to purchase.

Alongside the AI investment, John Lewis has launched a TikTok Shop on a 90‑day pilot timed around Mother’s Day gifting. The TikTok Shop features a curated range of beauty and gifting products that are instantly shoppable within the app. The line‑up includes a final drop of the now sold‑out John Lewis Mother’s Day Beauty Box, which brings together products from brands such as Jo Malone London, Augustinus Bader and Estée Lauder.

John Lewis says these investments position the brand “in the places and spaces” where customers are looking for ideas and discovering products, while enabling them to buy almost instantaneously in a single, seamless experience. The retailer also expects the initiatives to help attract new customers.

“Our customers are already using AI apps and discovery platforms to find products they love,” said Dom McBrien, chief digital and omnichannel officer at John Lewis. “These investments will mean that we are right there when customers are looking for ideas – and being able to quickly and easily buy in a few clicks is a gamechanger. We look forward to rolling out these functionalities and welcoming them into our omnichannel mix alongside our own app, website, and physical stores.”

The latest developments follow John Lewis’ earlier move into on‑demand shopping with Uber Eats. Later this month, customers within the delivery catchment areas of the Stratford, Kingston, Cambridge and Liverpool stores will be able to order from a selection of around 3,000 John Lewis products across home, beauty and tech, with delivery promised within 45 minutes.

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