UK retailer John Lewis taps TikTok Shop and AI platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT

John Lewis is investing in AI powered shopping and says it wants to become one of the first UK retailers to fully adopt and integrate the technology.  

The move will see its products served to customers looking for inspiration on AI platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT, starting later this year. John Lewis has extended its partnership with commercetools, a digital commerce platform, to utilise its new AI capabilities. 

It has also launched on TikTok Shop. Initially a 90-day pilot timed to help with Mother’s Day gifting, the trial focuses on a curated edit of beauty and gifting items, instantly shoppable through the platform. This includes a final drop of its Mother’s Day Beauty Box, featuring a collection of beauty products from brands including Jo Malone London, Augustinus Bader and Estee Lauder.   

Dom McBrien, Chief Digital and Omnichannel Officer, John Lewis, says: “Our customers are already using AI apps and discovery platforms to find products they love. These investments will mean that we are right there when customers are looking for ideas - and being able to quickly and easily buy in a few clicks is a gamechanger. We look forward to rolling out these functionalities and welcoming them into our omnichannel mix alongside our own app, website, and physical stores.” 

Broghan Smith, Head of Key Accounts at TikTok Shop UK, says: "We're delighted to welcome John Lewis to TikTok Shop. As a cornerstone of British retail with a proud heritage, John Lewis represents exactly the kind of quality brand our community loves to discover. We're excited to see how they'll succeed with discovery commerce on TikTok Shop, bringing their trusted products to life in new and engaging ways for our users."

Later this month, John Lewis will broaden its expansion into on-demand shopping with Uber Eats. Customers within the delivery catchments of the Stratford, Kingston, Cambridge, and Liverpool stores will be able to order from a selection of 3,000 John Lewis products from across home, beauty and tech categories, with purchases being delivered to customers within 45 minutes. This follows on from an initial trial with Uber Eats last year with two stores.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.