John Lewis is launching a furniture rental service for the first-time as the department store sets its sights on “the next generation of customers”.
A selection of 50 John Lewis furniture items, ranging from chairs to sofas and desks, will now be available for shoppers to rent.
Customers can choose to rent items for periods of three months, six months or a year at a time, seeing the monthly costs drop the longer they choose.
John Lewis will also offer renters the chance to purchase their furniture at a discounted rate after renting it, and payments will stop if the customers reach the original purchase price while they’re renting.
It has partnered with third-party rental service Fat Lama who will operate the rental scheme, deliver furniture within two days and collect it when renters have finished their lease.
READ MORE: Selfridges launches first ever luxury rental collection with Hurr
The move forms part of John Lewis new business remodel, which is targeting younger millennial customers.
“Attitudes towards renting items and the sharing economy have dramatically shifted in recent years, and we know that renting, reselling items and recycling them is a growing priority for our customers,” John Lewis director of home Johnathan Marsh said.
“Renting furniture will give more customers access to our high-quality furniture as well as the latest designs.
“It also offers them the flexibility to enjoy living with a bold, trend-led piece of furniture that they may not want forever, to easily change style, size and type of furniture if they are moving to a new rental property, or just need a stylish desk to temporarily work from home. All with the peace of mind that they are making more sustainable choices.”
Fat Lama’s co-founder and chief executive Chaz Englander added: “The world is changing. People are focusing more on access instead of ownership.
“As we have seen in the US, renting furniture instead of owning it is becoming the new normal for millennials; a generation that is moving house every 12 months.
“With this being our first step into furniture rental, it was important for us to find a partner that could supply high-quality furniture at scale. John Lewis could not have been a better fit.”
The service is currently only available across greater London, but is expected to be rolled out further in the near future.
Click here to sign up to Charged free daily email newsletter
4 Comments. Leave new
Yet more outsourcing. Key question who decides wear & tear? Customers will need to remember ” the borrower is liable to cover all costs of repair or replacement should an accident occur”.
Yet more outsourcing. The key question is who decides wear and tear? Customers will need to be aware that “The borrower is liable to cover all costs of repair or replacement should an accident occur”
This is absolutely brilliant especially given the fact that the ‘renter’would never have to pay more than what would have been the full cost of buying it outright initially. Well done John Lewis for thinking outside of the box and reaching out to the ever growing requirements of our millennials
The John Lewis Partnership is the UK’s largest employee owned business