Improving Customer Experience at John Lewis

This assignment focuses on improving customer experience at John Lewis, a popular home and department store in the fashion industry. It discusses the brand's market position, key consumers, attitudes, and organizational culture. The assignment also provides suggestions for enhancing aspects of the customer experience.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
TASKS.............................................................................................................................................2
What Brand is and where it sits in their market.....................................................................2
Who are their key consumers by frequency of utilize and by key demographics..................3
Attitudes of consumers that can be utilized to define their attitudes......................................4
What brand says about consumers service and what organizational culture & beliefs underpins
statements...............................................................................................................................5
Demonstrate that an audit of all manifestation of buyer of brand has been carried out.........6
Set of suggestions to improve aspects of consumers experience for their brand...................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Consumers experience is defined as phrase utilized to clearly describe connections buyers
has with a specific brand or business company. It refers to the sum of all experiences the
consumers has with companies, based on all interactions and thoughts about ventures. In order to
improve experience of target market, organizations while operating in business world do a lot of
thing; they use different types of methods and approaches, which are quite beneficial for them in
term of increasing consumer’s base even better. The current assignment will base on John Lewis,
which falls under category of the most popular home and department store in fashion industry. In
this study all seven questions are related to this brand, it will explain more information about
chosen company and its consumers. Furthermore, this report will justify models and theories in
context of business, buyer’s attitude and will also define appropriate suggestions at last.
TASKS
What Brand is and where it sits in their market
John Lewis is the 5th most famous home & department outlet in the United Kingdom; it is
described by fans as good consumer service, quality, trustworthy and excellent consumer
services (Spence, 2018). The chosen brand sells general products as part of employee owned
mutual company known as John Lewis partnership, the biggest co-operative in UK. The nature
of company is quite impressive as they consider and follow the latest trend in market that helps
to gain attention of new customers and retain existing ones for longer. Organization produces
and delivers quality or services according to current market trends which is quite beneficial for
its business in term of increasing profitability and brand position than competitors. John Lewis is
a brand of high end department outlets operating all through Great Britain (Sammour and et.al.,
2020). They provide range of products such as watches, giftwares, watches, cosmetics, jewellery,
housewares, beds, audio visual, direct services, computing, direct service, furniture and bedding
as well.
It analyse that John Lewis brand considered as privately owned company, it is owned by
a trust on behalf of all their workers, it is kind of brand category that define market. Organization
is operating and managing their functions within marketplace by offering quality goods that met
expectations and needs of target buyers, which turn into increasing their market share more than
1.2 million in coming years. But they are facing some issues that affect its current business
practices and some of its stores due to that thing were closed. John Lewis can earn and increase
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their market share by selling quality items. They earn 37% revenue and gross sales 41% in 2019-
2020 that is less than Waitrose (John Lewis Partnership: distribution of John Lewis and
Waitrose sales 2020, 2020). With the hard work and efforts with partners, organization made
£123 Million market share in 2019-2020 UNAUDITED RESULTS FOR YEAR ENDED 25
JANUARY 2020, 2020.
Boston Matrix-
It is a concept which aids businesses analyse their portfolio of ventures and brands, it a
most popular tool utilized in business and marketing tactic (Khajezadeh and et.al., 2019). It is
especially designed to aid with long term strategic planning, to aid a venture consider growth
chances by reviewing their portfolio of goods to decide where to invest and to develop items.
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Figure 1BCG Matrix
(Source: Boston Matrix- Product Portfolio Model, 2018)
With the help of using above model, it can be analysed that John Lewis have a high
growth and high market share above 70% in segment, which put its business in star category.
Company was voted as the best retailer in Britain’s and have won award as House beautiful
award. John Lewis business growth and market position can be compared with the help of this
matrix with their competitors such as Debenhams. It can be said that, market position of chosen
competitor is not much higher than chosen company (Shipper and Hoffman, 2020). Debenhams
is seen as one of firm top competitors, they can get cash cows post according to Matrix.
Who are their key consumers by frequency of utilize and by key demographics
John Lewis serves products to millions of buyers who like this brand and seek to
purchase its items with better quality. Before offering goods or services to people organization
target their market and chose specific segment which is actually very important for them.
Company had completed their biggest every consumer’s investigation and determined a specific
key target demographics, time short urbanites. This target is quite different from traditional
buyers of firm; they are much status conscious, younger and tech savvy (Shipper and Hoffman,
2020). This segmentation is can be use according to business environment and products
innovation. Management in order to retain new and existing target market focuses on their needs
and preferences, which make them stronger and powerful to achieve set aims and objectives of
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venture. Current customers are much harder to reach through traditional media digital channels
or platforms in specific social media or online video. Younger people who visit John Lewis are
aged under 25, they prefer to select brand products. All the consumers of firm either men or
women have good income sources and able to invest money in exchange of quality products
offered by chosen brand.
It analyse that there are no any biases in profile of John Lewis, they manufacture or sell
clothes for men, women, child and youngsters, it has high growth of volume. They do not make
any kind of differences between male and female applicants. These two things put positive
impact on buyer attitudes. For instance, when people see that brand is not making any
differences and following ethical business practice, it directly influence consumers attitudes in
positive manner as they prefer to visit department and home stores of John Lewis in UK or
across nation where brand operates their branches. Without any issues in brand profile company
can effectively gain attention of new buyer and allow existing one to retain with them because
they can buy amazing products (Kemp and et.al., 2018). It can be said that production and
marketing department always work to influence attitude of each customer in positive manner.
They target men’s and women consumers above 50 age and child age 10-18.
Attitudes of consumers that can be utilized to define their attitudes
A customer is one that purchases products or services for consumption and not for
commercial or resale reason. Consumer is an individual who pays some amount of money for
service or product. Each buyer has different attitude, they have different perspective towards
each product that help to drive them towards purchase. Attitudes of customers basically
comprises of feeling, towards, beliefs and behavioural intentions towards some things. John
Lewis target market has different attitudes; it may be defined as feeling of unfavourableness or
favourableness that an person has towards products or services of John Lewis company (Cao,
Ajjan and Hong, 2018). Younger consumers are in favour of purchase foreign brand apparel
since they were more influence by fashion, likely to try something new and famous brand tags,
considered symbolism essential and they were less sensitive to higher money. Consumers
attitudes is based on previous experience with chosen brand and those of its competitors,
comprehending it can aid them measure and modify their intentions about connecting relation
with company.
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It can be said that consumers always likes known brand, they are less interested in
discounts and money off because off quality issues. Some companies while selling products in
discounts provide poor quality items or services, which directly influence buying behaviour and
attitude of customers in negative manner. Above statement relate to chosen brand and that is
John Lewis, its owner say that people prefer to purchase products from well known company or
brand because they trust them. Chairman talks about 5% people that prefer to connect with own
label such as discounts and rest of individual like to connect with known brand. Organization
chance the attitude of consumer and positioned its business by developing and applying different
models and concepts of marketing. Furthermore, marketers can influence each phase consumer
decision making that help to position products in mind of individual and target market.
Marketing tools or platforms can allow company to positioned brand in market in effective
manner.
What brand says about consumers service and what organizational culture & beliefs underpins
statements
Consumer service is direct one on one or face to face interaction between targets market
making a purchase and a company who produce products or things for them (Keiningham and
et.al, 2020). It is provision of services to consumers before, during and after a buy. It is really
very important for each brand to provide better and excellent services to their customers that help
to provide good experience to them and allow visiting same brand again and again. All the
brands are in recent time are digitalized, they caters online consumers services to buyers that
help to save time and efforts and directly connect with target person who have some queries and
issues regarding service or product. Andrew Murphy is the next chief information officer of John
Lewis, he replace Paul Coby who is set to leave after seven eras (Weimer, 2017). He admits that
company has a traditional view of consumer’s services that does not prioritise digital.
Organization management and top authority think about this topic in a fairly old world manner,
they effort and concentrate on things that must be fact that underpin excellent consumers
experience. This statement does not shows that John Lewis is not investing in digital.
It can be said that around 40% of their business expenditure goes on Information
technology, at expense of investment in things like outlets, permitting retailer to comprehend
their buyers, see buying trends and assure a seamless experience of each person, which drives
conversions (Luftman, Lyytinen and Zvi, 2017). Customers of chosen brand say a lot of positive
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things about brand on social media sites about buyer experience. Twitter as social media
platform help management to determine buyers attitude towards its products and services, they
say that John Lewis cater quality items to its target market (Juntunen, Ismagilova and Oikarinen,
2020). They say that people wants to feel good, and experience same when they visit first or last
time. Social media is one of the best platform where everyone can share personal experience and
point of view in context of John Lewis consumers services and customers experience. This
statement relate to above context because all information and data drive towards efforts of
company to enhance experience of buyers.
Demonstrate that an audit of all manifestation of buyer of brand has been carried out
Age is the variation of demographics, people chose and select products or services
according to preferences that has been changed according to age factors. As it directly influence
or affect buying decision of buyer. Marketers effort to build strong connections between
consumers either aged or youngster by providing brand information at all touch points where
people can gather data about business or products.
Six pillar model of consumers experience excellence-
In a changing and developing world where customers have infinite option and control,
retailers need to deliver an excellent consumer experience when they want to thrive. Efficient
CX is fast becoming Holy Grail of retail sector, key way to gain competitive advantages and
beneficial in term of reaching at global level. Following six pillars help of makes an outstanding
CX that allow chosen brand to enhance brand ranking and loyalty (Batat, 2019).
Personalization-
This pillar offers a para- social relationship with an emotional connection. It is the most
valuable and useful element of most experiences. This component includes demonstrating that
company understand consumers particular situations like emerging trends and will adapt
experience accordingly. Use of name, knowledge of preferences, individualized attention, and
past interactions all add up to an experience that feels personal. Organization marketing
department by using information about consumer’s preferences can develop marketing content
that enhance CX when they log in website.
Integrity-
This component comes from consistent organizational nature that demonstrates
trustworthiness. There are trust developing activities when company have need to publicly act to
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a complex situations and trust building situation where buyer actions by staff add up to develop
trust in business as whole. For all consumers, it is the level to which John Lewis delivers on their
promises that is consistently top in mind. Workers by promoting brand in malls and public places
where number of population gather, it will enhance experience of customers (Das and
Varshneya, 2017).
Expectations-
All buyers have expectations about how their requirements will be met with offer of
brand and these are increasingly being set by the best companies or brands they have
encountered. John Lewis firm understand the expectation of customers and delivery products
accordingly. They comprehend that needs are set strategically by brand promise and every day
through touch point communicate where they need to meet and when right exceed expectations.
Resolution-
Consumer’s recovery is very essential, even with the best procedures and processes,
things will go inappropriately. Great organizations like John Lewis have a procedure that puts
buyer back in position they must have been in as rapidly as possible. But service recovery
paradox teaches management that just fixing issues is not enough and appropriate solution; each
buyer has to feel great about experience recovery. For example, by listening needs and problems
of customers, consumer service department can turn bad experience into an excellent one.
Time and effort-
Buyers are time poor and increasingly considering for instant gratification. Eliminating
unessential obstacles, bureaucracy and impediments, to make consumers able to achieve their
objectives easily and quickly, have been shown to enhance loyalty even better.
Empathy-
It is an emotional ability to show John Lewis comprehends their consumer’s experience.
It creating behaviours are central to well establishing a strong connections and include reflecting
back to buyer that firm know how they feel, then going that one additional phase because
consumers understand how they feel. Company can listen carefully what their buyers says about
goods and services via communicating with them by using own website and face to face meeting.
Set of suggestions to improve aspects of consumers experience for their brand
Consumer experiences are subjective and internal response buyers have to any indirect or
direct contact with a organization. Organization can monitor and measure consumers experience
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by taking feedback through customer’s preferred channels at optimal period. There are varied
kinds of methods or ways accessible in business world that chosen brand and its management
can use to increase consumers base or experience with them to longer and effective manner.
 It can be said that marketers within John Lewis Company can monitor and then improve
consumers experience by using right metric at right time in the customers decision
making or buying journey.
 John Lewis brand must set up their consumers experience analytics, it analysed that
Google analytics has a range of metrics that firm can use and it aid them analyse online
or offline consumers experience (Wei, Torres and Hua, 2016). It provides many
customization options that help to monitor and then improve buyer experience.
 Marketers will contribute in improving customers experience by reaching at each phase
of decision making procedure from beginning to end. For example, by sharing more
information about products quality, materials and ways of production, marketers can
provide better experience of individual when they visit brand websites.
 Furthermore, it can be said that millions people before purchase specific thing at first
time search about it and seek to gather a lot of data about brand. Customers always ready
reviews about goods in which they are highly interested. At that time by developing own
website or application John Lewis can improve consumers experiences. For instance,
with the help developing internet websites company can share info to buyers from supply
chain to production and marketing to inventory management, they can assure each of
them that firm is working within ethical manner that will definitely enhance experience
of clients.
 Along with above suggestions, company should update developed website time to time
with essential data about items and offers.
CONCLUSION
From above analysis, it has been concluded that John Lewis company efforts to improve
experience of consumers and change their attitudes towards brand in positive manner. It has been
analysed that customers experience enhanced by using different methods and following potential
suggestions that are quite beneficial for company as it allow them to keep competitive with
strong consumer’s base within industry. Furthermore, it has been summarized that chosen brand
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has strong image in market that gaining attention of new buyers towards its products which turn
into increasing sales, growth, revenue and profitability even better than last few years.
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REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Batat, W., 2019. Experiential Marketing: Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience and The
7Es. Routledge.
Cao, Y., Ajjan, H. and Hong, P., 2018. Post-purchase shipping and customer service experiences
in online shopping and their impact on customer satisfaction. Asia Pacific Journal of
Marketing and Logistics.
Das, G. and Varshneya, G., 2017. Consumer emotions: Determinants and outcomes in a
shopping mall. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 38. pp.177-185.
Juntunen, M., Ismagilova, E. and Oikarinen, E.L., 2020. B2B brands on Twitter: engaging users
with a varying combination of social media content objectives, strategies, and
tactics. Industrial Marketing Management. 89. pp.630-641.
Keiningham, T and et.al, 2020. Customer experience driven business model innovation. Journal
of Business Research. 116. pp.431-440.
Kemp, E.A and et.al., 2018. The heart in organizational buying: marketers’ understanding of
emotions and decision-making of buyers. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing.
Khajezadeh, M and et.al., 2019. Application of Neural Network in Portfolio Product Companies:
Integration of Boston Consulting Group Matrix and Ansoff Matrix. International Journal
of Economics and Management Engineering. 13(6). pp.809-813.
Luftman, J., Lyytinen, K. and Zvi, T.B., 2017. Enhancing the measurement of information
technology (IT) business alignment and its influence on company performance. Journal
of Information Technology. 32(1). pp.26-46.
Sammour, A and et.al., 2020. Crafting the forever now: Corporate heritage brand innovation at
John Lewis Partnership. Strategic Change. 29(1). pp.115-126.
Shipper, F. and Hoffman, R.C., 2020. John Lewis partnership approaching 100 years–what
now?. The CASE Journal.
Shipper, F. and Hoffman, R.C., 2020. John Lewis partnership approaching 100 years–what
now?. The CASE Journal.
Spence, C., 2018. Fondue make a comeback. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food
Science. 12. pp.14-15.
Wei, W., Torres, E. and Hua, N., 2016. Improving consumer commitment through the integration
of self-service technologies: a transcendent consumer experience
perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 59. pp.105-115.
Weimer, A.C., 2017. Elizabeth Hooton and the lived politics of toleration in Massachusetts
Bay. William & Mary Quarterly. 74(1). pp.43-76.
Online
Boston Matrix- Product Portfolio Model. 2018. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.tutor2u.net/business/reference/boston-matrix-and-product-
portfolios#:~:text=The%20Boston%20Matrix%20is%20a,in%20marketing%20and
%20business%20strategy.>
John Lewis Partnership: distribution of John Lewis and Waitrose sales 2020. 2020. [Online].
Available through: < https://www.statista.com/statistics/420185/john-lewis-partnership-
waitrose-sales-distribution-united-kingdom-uk/ >
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UNAUDITED RESULTS FOR YEAR ENDED 25 JANUARY 2020. 2020. [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/content/dam/cws/pdfs/Juniper/JLP-
Full-Year-2019-20-Results-Statement.pdf>
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