Angela Scanlon will host the Gift List \u2018vodcast\u2019. Photograph: Ken McKay\/ITV\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
The premise is guests discussing good and bad presents they have given and received, with the broadcaster Louis Theroux appearing on the first show. There will be six episodes running up to Christmas, with more planned if the series takes off.<\/p>\n
Shoppers are increasingly influenced by the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini to find and recommend products and also by information on social media such as Instagram and TikTok. The AI large language models tend to prioritise third-party advice and live content when formulating their responses, which is forcing retailers to change<\/a> their marketing plans.<\/p>\n The department store\u2019s outgoing boss, Peter Ruis, said that a year ago just 0.3% of its customers were searching for products via AI large language models such as ChatGPT, but that had already risen to 2.5%, and usage was growing exponentially with all ages using the technology.<\/p>\n Being able to rapidly respond to trends and interests with clips of influencers or experts filmed for social media \u2013 such as the opening of the British Museum\u2019s Bayeux tapestry exhibition, which is expected to spur an interest in cross stitching, or the launch of the Harry Potter TV series before Christmas \u2013 has become just as important as the group\u2019s festive TV ad or its \u2018never knowingly undersold<\/a>\u2019 price pledge.<\/p>\n Ruis, who departs John Lewis this weekend <\/a>after almost three years as managing director, said John Lewis had to move with the times as it faced an economy which was \u201ca bit swirly\u201d.<\/p>\n He said the chancellor\u2019s budget announcements next month would come at a \u201ccritical period\u201d for retailers and he wanted to see more help on business rates.<\/p>\n Peter Ruis, the outgoing managing director who leaves this weekend, said he was optimistic for John Lewis in the run-up to Christmas. Photograph: Martin Godwin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Ruis said strong trading this week and a string of recent innovations, including modernised cafes and sports departments as well as the social media push and a recent \u201ctoy boom\u201d, made him optimistic about the run-up to Christmas.<\/p>\n Details of John Lewis\u2019s half-year figures will be released next week. Ruis said it had been a \u201csummer of winners and losers\u201d but indicated there was now \u201cdecent momentum\u201d as shoppers still had money to spend.<\/p>\n The chain rang up record sales of garden furniture, fans and air conditioning over the summer but Ruis said it was not yet clear if the \u201cBurnham bounce\u201d over the summer would last. \u201cPeople are not going to splurge when you have got inflation swirling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | Every weekday<\/p>\n Sign up to Business Today<\/p>\n Get set for the working day \u2013 we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not an easy economy. It\u2019s not easy for customers and inflation is kicking in and the fuel pump is costing people a lot of money.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788469577_78_500.jpg\")
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