Following the news that Topshop and Topman have entered a wholesale partnership with John Lewis: Tom Ljubojevic, apparel analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view: “Launching in John Lewis’ stores next year (February 2026) will allow Topshop and Topman to benefit from the department store’s significant presence across the UK, helping to increase the brands’ visibility and customer awareness. This expands on the announcement last month of Topshop and Topman’s partnership with heritage London department store Liberty. However, with this initial return to physical retail limited to Liberty’s singular location, it will have far less consumer impact. A place in John Lewis’ stores will allow the brands to showcase their new lines to customers more effectively, as well as entice new shoppers who may have been unaware of their relaunch.
“However, this choice of wholesale partner does pose the question of who Topshop and Topman are targeting with their return. The strategy so far has suggested they are targeting a millennial or older Gen Z customer, who will have bought from them instore before they closed and will be excited about their return. This has been evidenced by the nostalgia-driven marketing and announcement of past ambassador Cara Delevingne as the new face of Topshop, as well as the return of classic styles like its Joni skinny jeans. The pricing and styling are reminiscent of competitor Zara, and the new edits and product selection show its trend focus, again suggesting they are targeting fashion conscious consumers in their late 20s to 30s that were past customers.
“In contrast, while John Lewis does have a wide customer base, its core shopper is typically older than who the brands seem to be targeting. Younger shoppers who did not previously buy from Topshop and Topman are unlikely to discover the new range through John Lewis, especially since the marketing campaign surrounding the relaunch has been underwhelming so far. Therefore, the partnership may struggle to reach its full potential unless the brands can attract new consumers into John Lewis stores through more engaging campaigns.”
