John Lewis retail media: how the John Lewis Partnership sells ads across John Lewis and Waitrose

One network sells two very different shops. John Lewis sells fashion, beauty, home and technology through 36 department stores and a large website. Waitrose is a premium grocer with 320 shops (dunnhumby, 19 June 2026). A brand such as a kitchen-appliance maker can reach the same household when it researches a dishwasher and when it buys groceries.

The Partnership builds its network from several specialist partners rather than one platform. Its onsite network went live across both websites in 2023. Self-serve tools with Epsilon followed on johnlewis.com in July 2024, and Epsilon added offsite campaigns in July 2025 (Retail Gazette, 1 July 2025). In June 2026 the Partnership appointed Kevel to power a bespoke onsite platform, while Epsilon kept offsite. Barrows supplies store screens and dunnhumby runs a multi-retailer pilot (Retail Gazette, 21 September 2026). For buyers, the onsite move to Kevel runs in phases, so the format list changes through 2026.

The third difference is measuring the store. John Lewis says 60% of its orders are online, yet many shoppers research online and buy in a shop. The Kevel platform adds ROPO reporting that uses loyalty-card data to show whether an onsite ad led to an in-store sale (Kevel, 1 September 2026). That matters for high-value goods such as sofas or televisions, which shoppers often want to see first.

Onsite. Display placements are live on JohnLewis.com and Waitrose.com. The Kevel platform supports native ads and sponsored listings, and sponsored products were due "later this year" (Kevel, 1 September 2026). In 2024, BSH, which makes Bosch and Siemens appliances, praised the performance of sponsored product ads on John Lewis (company quote, Epsilon, 31 July 2024).

Offsite. Epsilon runs digital display and online video for both brands across the open web, connected TV and streaming services, using the Partnership's first-party loyalty data. The service started in July 2025 as a managed offer, with self-service planned (Retail Gazette, 1 July 2025).

In-store. The refurbished John Lewis Bluewater store carries a seven-metre billboard in its atrium among eight digital screens, engineered with Barrows (Retail Gazette, 17 November 2025). Neff, Lego, Sony and Samsung were early users. Waitrose has expanded experiential "stunt spaces" to 10 stores, such as wine bar takeovers with tastings (Retail Gazette, 21 September 2026). The onsite, offsite and in-store comparison explains how these surfaces differ in price and measurement.

Brands target customer segments built from the Partnership's first-party data across both brands. Kaitlin Craig, a Digital Retail Media Lead, said the Partnership holds "really rich customer insights" and now shares them with "trusted partner brands" (Kevel, 1 September 2026). Brands receive targeting and reports, not customer records.

The Partnership also screens creative. In 2024 it said its in-house team reviews every ad for suitability and relevance before it runs (Epsilon, 31 July 2024). That is a useful brand-safety point for advertisers, and a reason to allow time for approval.

Onsite campaigns report through the self-serve tools. Head of retail media Tom Langley said brands can see real-time updates for formats such as sponsored products, and that measurement is advertisers' most consistent demand (Retail Gazette, 21 September 2026). The 2026 ROPO feature adds closed-loop measurement of in-store sales where a loyalty card is used (Kevel, 1 September 2026). Offsite, Epsilon provides its own closed-loop measurement.

Langley also admitted the Partnership is still improving its measurement with partners. We found no IAB Europe certification or third-party audit for its metrics. Ask what share of shop sales carries a loyalty card, because ROPO results cover only those sales.

1. Contact the Partnership's retail media team or work through your agency; no public sign-up page was found.
2. Start onsite with display or sponsored listings on the brand site where your products sell.
3. Add sponsored product ads as they roll out on the Kevel platform.
4. Extend offsite through Epsilon for display and video on the open web and streaming; expect a managed team to run it.
5. Ask about the dunnhumby alliance pilot if you also buy Tesco or B&Q media and want one route across retailers.

It suits:

• premium home, electrical, beauty and fashion brands sold at John Lewis;
• premium food and drink brands sold at Waitrose;
• brands whose shoppers research online and buy in a shop.

It suits less:

• value brands with little John Lewis or Waitrose distribution;
• advertisers who need audited, certified metrics now;
• buyers wanting a single, stable format list, while the platform rolls out in phases.

• A brand name for the network, if any.
• Media revenue, minimum spend and rate cards.
• The date of the Waitrose self-serve launch with Epsilon.
• Whether every format has moved to the Kevel platform; the September 2026 interview implies sponsored products are self-serve.
• Headquarters, which is taken from general knowledge.

1. Retail Gazette, "John Lewis Partnership ramps up retail media push with Kevel deal" (30 June 2026). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/06/john-lewis-partnership-ramps-up-retail-media-push-with-kevel-deal/
2. Kevel, "John Lewis Partnership teams with Kevel as it further strengthens its retail media offer" (page dated 1 September 2026). https://www.kevel.com/blog/john-lewis-partnership-teams-with-kevel-as-it-further-strengthens-its-retail-media-offer
3. Epsilon, "John Lewis launches retail media platform to connect brands and customers" (London, 31 July 2024; page dated 1 August 2024). https://www.epsilon.com/emea/about-us/pressroom/john-lewis-launches-retail-media-platform
4. dunnhumby, "dunnhumby network alliance launches to connect and scale retail media" (19 June 2026). https://www.dunnhumby.com/news/dunnhumby-network-alliance-launches-to-connect-and-scale-retail-media/
5. Retail Gazette, "John Lewis Partnership rolls out offsite advertising for partners" (1 July 2025). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/07/john-lewis-retail-media-2/
6. Retail Gazette, "John Lewis unveils cutting-edge retail media suite in refurbed Bluewater store" (17 November 2025). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/11/john-lewis-retail-media-3/
7. Retail Gazette, "John Lewis head of retail media: 'It's vital that anything we do builds on trust with customers'" (21 September 2026). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/09/john-lewis-head-of-retail-media-its-vital-that-anything-we-do-builds-on-trust-with-customers/
8. Retail Week, "John Lewis Partnership aims to generate nearly £300m from loyalty schemes and retail media" (7 September 2026; paywalled, headline and standfirst read). https://www.retail-week.com/department-stores/john-lewis-partnership-aims-to-generate-nearly-300m-from-loyalty-schemes-and-retail-media/7052044.article