John Lewis is overhauling its loyalty programme, My John Lewis, to include a new beauty proposition as the retailer banks on skincare and cosmetics to glow up its performance as part of a wider £800m investment.
The move is being driven by a major new partnership with Skin Cupid, one of the UK’s leading Korean beauty retailers, which will see the John Lewis launch 20 Korean skin and haircare brands online, and open “shops in shops” in Cambridge, Kingston and Leeds this summer.
Underpinning the drive will be the launch of MyJL Beauty, a beauty enhancement to its existing loyalty club, and the recent expansion of The Beauty Society, its brand-agnostic advisory service.
Customers who buy beauty products and swipe their My John Lewis card when shopping will receive tailored rewards and personalised offers, including the MyJL Beauty Edit Box which will drop late May.
It will feature a curation of John Lewis’ buyers’ favourite products worth £240, including Medik8 Daily Radiance Vitamin C C-Tetra Cream 50ml, Elemis Pro Collagen Energising Marin Cleanser 30ml, and Laneige Bouncy & Firm Lip Treatment 12ml, and will be free to members spending £200 or more on beauty items.
There are currently 3.8 million active My John Lewis members, an increase of 4% in the past year. On average, My John Lewis beauty customers shop with the brand over six times a year.
Beauty sales at John Lewis have grown by 42% since 2020, while searches for Korean skincare have soared nearly 800% over the past year. Customers are increasingly shopping by ingredient, efficacy and results, rather than by brand alone. Searches for hyaluronic acid have surged 127%; azelaic acid searches are up 110%; and searches for peptides are up 91%. In the beauty-tech space, searches for LED masks are up 75%.
Skin Cupid claims to be the UK’s leading Korean beauty retailer, built on education, ingredient transparency, and a community of skincare enthusiasts. Through ingredient education, curation, and exclusive partnerships with some of the biggest names in Korean beauty, Skin Cupid has launched some of Korea’s top brands to British shoppers before they hit the mainstream.
As a category, beauty is a core focus in the brand’s £800m transformation. Across its stores, six of its 34 Beauty Halls were upgraded last year, transforming them into immersive discovery destinations with more space and new brands, with more planned for this year.
In total, there are now 540 specialist beauty counters at John Lewis, over 400 individual beauty services – covering everything from quick counter makeovers to in-depth consultations, and nearly 70 dedicated treatment rooms, which are private spaces for full, indulgent services. In total, approximately 1,800 beauty specialists are on hand to help customers across the 34 John Lewis beauty halls.
John Lewis director of beauty Helen Spencer said: “Beauty customers are changing the way they shop. They are increasingly researching ingredients, trends and products before coming to us for trusted advice and the chance to try products in person. Through Skin Cupid, MyJL Beauty, and The Beauty Society, we are giving customers new ways to discover brands, access expert guidance, and be rewarded for shopping beauty with John Lewis.
“These launches mark an important step in our broader beauty push as we continue to invest in the category across stores, loyalty and digital channels.”
Skin Cupid CEO Melody Yuan added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with John Lewis to bring Korean beauty to more UK shoppers. Their reputation for quality and the trust they’ve built with customers made them the natural home for Skin Cupid, and we cannot wait to bring our expertise, brands, and community spirit to shoppers across the UK.”
Earlier this year, John Lewis launched a pilot on TikTok Shop, with beauty products being at the heart of the social shopping experience, and also broadened its expansion into on-demand shopping with Uber Eats. This forms part of John Lewis’s wider beauty plans across both physical and digital channels.
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