Christmas should be the time for department stores to shine

In the battle to entice a new generation while reconnecting with former customers, department stores mustn’t try to be all things, writes Caroline Bullock

Stores like John Lewis don’t need to instal artisan Christmas markets; they just need the confidence to do what they do best (Getty)

If there was ever a time when shoppers might be tempted to cut beleaguered department stores some slack and reacquaint themselves with the unique experience they offer, it’s now.

Christmas is rooted in nostalgia, and so are these now less fashionable bricks-and-mortar titans, scenes of generation-spanning seasonal rituals with their window displays, Santa grottos and festive muzak. For much of the year, those still in business may be muted shadows of their once bustling selves, but the opportunity to recapture the buzz of their heyday, however briefly, and remind us of the role they can still play in the retail experience, is there for the taking.

According to a study by Yahoo, 41 per cent of shoppers say they will buy equally online and in store this year, up from 27 per cent in 2020, while research platform Appinio found that a third of 1,000 adults cited in-store displays as the main inspiration for their Christmas shopping.