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Retailer John Lewis has opened the largest smart home technology experience in the UK at its flagship Oxford Street store.
The space measures 1,000 square feet and showcases a vast array of futuristic gadgets – from an oven than enables you to put dinner on before you leave the office, to a fridge that does your internet shopping for you.
The new space comes in response to an 81 per cent increase in sales of smart home products in the past year at John Lewis.
There will be four interactive zones: Kitchen, Entertainment, Sleep and Home monitoring. All of which will demonstrate how customers can save time, effort and enhance their busy lifestyles by controlling their home through the touch of an app on their smart device.
There will also be demos from specially trained partners (John Lewis employees).
“We are seeking to demystify the latest smartest technology for our customers,” said Johnathan Marsh, buying director for Electricals and Home Technology at John Lewis.
“In-store experiences are now key as we’ve seen customer demand for physical experiences before committing to purchase increase.
“To help customers understand which smart technology is for them, our partners have received extensive training to provide added value. Given our home and technology credentials, John Lewis is perfectly placed to support and lead the customer on the smart home journey.”
Products featured in the smart home experience include Philips Hue lighting, Sonos PLAY:5 Wireless Music System, Nest Protect 2nd Generation Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm, AEG BS8836880B ProCombi Plus Smart Oven, and the Netatmo Welcome Home Camera with Face Recognition.
All products featured in the space will be available to purchase in-store and online at johnlewis.com and the smart home experience will be rolled out to other shops across the UK starting with the new John Lewis Leeds store, scheduled to open in Autumn 2016.
John Vary, innovation manager at John Lewis, commented: “Smart home technology is designed to make life more convenient, and the introduction of this new curated experience – the first on the high street – marks a brilliant step in innovation for John Lewis.
“Showcasing the latest smart products, this experience demonstrates in a real-life setting, how technology has exciting and far-reaching implications for today’s lifestyles.”
