John Lewis to open VIP lounge at Oxford Street store with free drinks and massages | John Lewis

John Lewis is to open a VIP area at its Oxford Street store in London as part of an effort to attract customers after years of losing out to rivals including Marks & Spencer.

The retailer will unveil the John Lewis Lounge on Tuesday, offering access to members of its loyalty card scheme, weeks after it reported group losses nearly trebled to £88m in the first half of this year.

In the area, which the company says will be trialled by Christmas, customers will be offered a free glass of sparkling wine or hot drink, as well as hand and arm massages, Waitrose chocolates and snacks from cafe chain Benugo.

The company describes the area as a “VIP retreat or third space,” a “paradise where members can relax and recharge…a moment of peace.”

Rosie Hanley, brand director at John Lewis, said: “Our new John Lewis Lounge is about rewarding loyalty with a world-class experience. This trial is a perfect example of our wider strategy of investing in our stores to deliver unique, service-led experiences our customers can’t get anywhere else.”

Customers signed up to the retailer’s My John Lewis program will be able to book in advance or walk in if space is available. Members will be able to bring two guests with them and the VIP area will be able to accommodate up to 30 customers per hour.

The initiative, first reported by the Sunday Telegraph, comes as John Lewis is considering investing in its stores in a bid to attract customers to its high street stores.

When the group announced its losses in September, it said it expected the “macroeconomic environment to remain challenging” but would increase investment “in a position to deliver full-year profit growth”.

The John Lewis Partnership, the parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose, is spending around £800 million renovating its department stores and hiring more floor staff to improve the experience for shoppers.

The retailer traditionally makes all its profits in the second half of the year and expects this year to be the same. The traditional Christmas ad is usually released in the first half of November.

The opening of the VIP area follows a successful drive to get more customers to sign up to the My John Lewis loyalty scheme, whose membership increased by 13% last year to 3.8 million people.

The company also runs the My Waitrose loyalty programme. It plans to introduce a joint loyalty card that will be valid at John Lewis and Waitrose in the future.