JOHN LEWIS BLUEWATER

Service: The sales assistant was extremely professional and took time to clarify exactly what I needed the pushchair for. We then selected three products that would be suitable for the job and the sales assistant competently demonstrated the features and benefits of each one. The lady then went on to discuss whether I had already purchased or made decisions on other items and proceeded to give me advice on furniture and necessary smaller items such as changing mats and bedding etc… As a first time mum this was really helpful as there are so many products to chose from and it is difficult to know where to start. John Lewis also offer a service where you can book a two hour appointment with an assistant and go through everything you would need. This is an excellent idea as so often expectant mums are forced to shop on Saturdays when shops are at their busiest and advice from assistants can be difficult to come by without a long wait.

Product Range: The range was good offering a variety of products at all price points.

Display: Products are clearly displayed in sectors and staff actively encourage customers to take the products off shelves/out of displays and try them which I felt was an extremely good thing.

Product Recommended: Bugaboo Gecko.

Reason: The simple yet sturdy design means that it is incredibly easy to transport in and out of cars, the handle can quickly be switched across so that the larger wheels can lead for better performance on uneven paths and then be switched back when back on the pavement.

Overall experience: I felt that the whole experience at John Lewis was extremely positive, the range of products was big enough for you to feel that you were getting a good idea of the market and the sales staff were extremely knowledgeable about products and happy to spend time demonstrating them for you. This would lead to customers returning to John Lewis for other items and also recommending it to their friends.

Service: Again the sales assistant took care to find out exactly what I needed the pushchair for and was very honest in pointing out which were suitable for ‘off road’ use and which were just made to look like they were! This time budget was an important factor in the assistant’s questioning. She was slightly hampered by the fact that the range available in this particular store was dominated by good value ‘sporty looking’ three wheeler pushchairs. However the assistant was really knowledgeable about the range available and confidently demonstrated the product that she recommended stressing the importance of being able to collapse the product easily to transport in a car.

Product Range: This was what really let the store down. Had they had more products of the type that I was looking for then the sales assistant would have had more chance of making a sale. Customers like the reassurance of being able to make an informed choice as opposed to deciding on the only one available. The assistant also failed to guide me to any other sections in the store, therefore limiting the number of purchases that I was likely to make.

Display: I feel that the store had a feeling of overcrowding due to the amount of products displayed side by side and sections could have been defined more clearly. The pushchairs were at the back of the store and could have done with being on different levels to break them up a bit. In addtion, there was not much space to actually get the pushchair out and try it out.

Product Recommended: Bébé Confort Loola.

Reason: Recommended as a good value multi purpose system, sturdy enough to be used on slightly rougher terrain and light enough to be transported easily. Plus it was the only one that the assistant would recommend as suitable for use on rougher terrain.

Overall Experience: The assistant was extremely competent. However the shopping experience was slightly tainted by the lack of product available in the pushchair section and the over crowded layout of the shop.

Service: Again the assistant in this store was hampered by the fact that there was only one product that she could recommend for ‘off road’ use. However she was ethical enough to advise me that the product would be difficult to place in and out of cars due to its weight. Price wise these are obviously at the higher end of the market and so I was keen to learn exactly what I was getting for my money compared to cheaper products available. Unfortunately the assistant was unable to give any real reasons for the higher prices and even stated that she personally bought from Mothercare! When products are more expensive then others on the market, I like to thoroughly research what exactly I am getting for my money before making the final decision. Obviously factors like quality and technical features contribute to the final cost of a product and so it is incredibly important to be fully aware of what these are.

Product Range: Although the pushchair offering was limited in the category that I was interested in, the range of other nursery products was great and the clear well designed layout meant that browsing was a real pleasure.

Display: This was fantastic and by far superior to any other store visited. There was lots of central floor space allowing plenty of room to look round the centrally positioned carousels and podiums containing product. The overall décor created a calm and sophisticated environment which was a pleasure to shop in. However it was the mezzanine level that was really impressive. This contained individually staged rooms complete with furniture, bedding and co-ordinating accessories giving prospective customers a great visual impression of how their nursery could look. This is a really clever way of ensuring that customers buy an entire range and therefore spend as much money as possible.

Product Recommended: Not applicable.

Overall experience Disappointing initially due to the lack of product that suited my needs. However the overall layout of the shop and the variety of products presented in such an innovative way was very impressive.

Service: This was my first experience of an independently owned retailer and so I was pleasantly surprised to find the shop easily and be able to park in their customer car park.

The sales assistant was very pleasant and quickly established what I was looking for, the variety of pushchairs on display was impressive and she immediately narrowed these down to two which would suit my purpose. The lady then professionally explained the various features of each and gave a comprehensive demonstration. I was then left to ‘have a play’ which was partly good as it gave me a chance to get a hands-on feel for the products. On the other hand, I was completely left to my own devices from that moment on and went on to browse around the other sections of the shop. I had clearly stated to the assistant that I had made a special trip from seventeen miles away to visit and I was yet to make any purchases despite being heavily pregnant. Surely this would have indicated to the assistant that I was a serious potential customer and had I been given the same type of informed advice about car seats, furniture, bedding and accessories then a single purchase could have been converted into a multiple one. There would also have been the benefit that a new customer from a neighbouring town would have spread the word amongst her peers.

Product Range: Excellent, I was genuinely surprised by the large range of products stocked, it was easily comparable to the larger multiples.

Display: The ideas behind the display were sound in that products were grouped together clearly in sections. Pushchairs were placed on a raised platform which made them much easier to view. The furniture and bedding was staged in the lower level of the shop to give an impression of nursery rooms, very much like the Mamas & Papas store. However accessories were then placed around the edges and in some cases piled on top of one another giving the impression of overcrowded confusion which was a shame as it detracted from the overall effect.

Products recommended: Quinny Buzz and iCandy Apple

Reason: Both of these products offered a flexible system that was robust enough to handle off road in addition to being light enough and easy enough to collapse to put in and out of cars easily.

Overall Experience: On the whole the experience was very positive. However I do feel that a few minor changes to the layout and display, coupled with sales assistants who really maximised the sales made by each customer would help the retailer significantly.

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