Re: Changes on the High Street
 

How?

John Lewis stores are extremely popular at Christmas. Many of them occupy prime units within major shopping centres and are designed to attract casual footfall (often they have entrances and exits on opposite sides, sometimes to the outside of the mall, to positively encourage people to walk through and maybe impulse buy).

With restrictions on the number of people who can be inside a shop, that design is now a positive disadvantage. They don’t want the place stowed out with people just passing through or casual browsing. They need as many people in the store as possible to be those intent on making a purchase.

They are basically doing what the Apple Store has been doing since lockdown ended in the summer, encouraging pre-booked visits (for a stated purpose only in the case of Apple) and virtual queueing those who show up on the day without an appointment.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

I read that to mean you will put into a waiting list/virtual queue, and when the actual queue diminishes, you will get a message telling you you can come to the shop (whilst in the waiting list/virtual queue, you wait in your car, or somewhere else besides the physical queue).

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

I'd hope that they make it clear at the entrances that there is a 'turn up' queue and 'pre booked' queue.

Similar to the way you can do priority boarding airlines, which works and doesn't cause arguments.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

or buy from amazon and get next day delivery

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

You do realise that a virtual queue is basically the same thing as an appointment, don’t you?

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Hope all you want - I’m trying to explain what I think they are trying to do.

You have to understand the world doesn’t revolve around your interpretation of what companies/people are doing, and others are allowed to have different opinions without being berated.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Do you get a time slot.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

It's a ******High Street department store we're talking about!

---------- Post added at 21:43 ---------- Previous post was at 21:41 ----------



Look, it's in the realms of the****** obvious what they're trying to do. You don't need to explain it to me.

That JL should try to operate in this way is what I find so ridiculous.





Language please.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

I know it’s Friday evening, but you may wish to put the Buckie down - you’re getting a little heated... ;)

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Try and avoid doing things worthy of judgment and execution. You’re a rational being, not an impassioned animal.

That said, for a rational being you’re having a surprisingly difficult time understanding why a shop struggling with unprecedented limited capacity, at its most busy time of year, might resort to planning a way to control who is in its premises and when.

As a rational being I’m sure you’re not going to start bleating about your human rights being infringed or other such nonsense.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Sounds like a great idea to me.

Rather than stores reopening and everyone rushing to shops and them being really busy. JL has taken steps to try and keep things simple and organised. Booking appointments to visit is a great move in my book.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

You do realise that most institutions in these circumstances don’t book the virtual queue to full capacity, ensuring there are spaces for the ‘walk ins" - because this is what they do for a living...