UK retail group John Lewis has signed a deal with Google Cloud worth £100m over the next five years to provide shoppers with more tailored and personalised experiences.

The move represents a major expansion of the relationship it has had with Google since 2012.

This collaboration marks a step forward in the John Lewis Partnership’s digital transformation of its John Lewis and Waitrose brands, and its ambitions to provide more tailored and personalised experiences.

Under the expanded agreement, more of the organisation’s technology will migrate to Google Cloud, harnessing the cloud provider’s technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These tools should help John Lewis workers be more efficient, spend more time focusing on customers, and better use data insights to help curate products and services.

The investment in Google Cloud is a part of the John Lewis Partnership’s transformation story. The company’s strategy of creating in-store and online experiences has already been successful in attracting more customers this year. This partnership with Google Cloud aims to take its retail experience to the next level, both in-store and via its digital platforms, including JohnLewis.com, Waitrose.com and its owned mobile apps.

Moreover, the agreement will support the retailer’s ambition to get closer to its customers by creating a loyalty programme in 2024.

“Investing in cutting edge technology is not just a choice, it’s a necessity for a modern retailer like us,” said Nish Kankiwala, chief executive officer at John Lewis Partnership. “Core to our strategy is building our technology infrastructure for the long term, drawing on latest innovations to benefit our customers.”

Zak Mian, chief technology officer at the John Lewis Partnership, added: “At the John Lewis Partnership we’ve always been focused at finding better ways to do business. This announcement marks a significant step in transforming our technology, and ensures that our partners have the best tools to provide our customers with even more personalised experiences, across all our channels.

“Imagine a world where a customer can use an image scanning feature in their John Lewis app to show our home design stylists a room they’re looking to furnish, which tells us all we need to know about the intricacies of the space, layout and measurements. Not only does it save customers a lot of time and hassle, but even before the appointment we can take inspiration from their unique preferences and give tailored recommendations that can even complement products they already have. We’re looking forward to an era of fresh innovation.”

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said: “As an innovative British retailer with a strong commitment to customer service, the John Lewis Partnership is always looking for new ways to reinvent how it does business. By turning to Google Cloud’s leading AI and ML tools, John Lewis will help transform the partner experience, which in turn will deliver a better and more seamless experience for its customers.”

Started as a radical experiment over a century ago, John Lewis is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with around 74,000 employees who are all partners in the business.