John Lewis agrees £100m Google Cloud partnership

The John Lewis Partnership has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Google Cloud worth £100m across the next five years.

Under the agreement, more of the organisation’s technology will migrate to Google Cloud, harnessing the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

John Lewis hopes that partnership will take its retail experience to the next level both in-store, and via its digital platform and owned mobile apps.

The move represents a major expansion of the successful relationship the company has had with Google since 2012.

The agreement will also support the company’s ambition to get closer to its customers by creating a pan-Partnership loyalty programme in 2024.

Zak Mian, chief transformation and technology officer at the John Lewis Partnership, said: “At the John Lewis Partnership we’ve always been focused at finding better ways to do business. Today’s announcement marks a significant step in transforming our technology, and ensures that our partners have the best tools to provide our customers with even more personalised experiences, across all our channels.

“Imagine a world where a customer can use an image scanning feature in their John Lewis App to show our Home Design Stylists a room they’re looking to furnish, which tells us all we need to know about the intricacies of the space, layout and measurements.”

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, added: “As an innovative British retailer with a strong commitment to customer service, the John Lewis Partnership is always looking for new ways to reinvent how it does business.By turning to Google Cloud’s leading AI and ML tools, John Lewis will help transform the partner experience, which in turn will deliver a better and more seamless experience for its customers.”