UK's John Lewis looks to harness AI agent shopping in 'difficult economy'

LONDON, Sept 3 : John Lewis, Britain's largest employee-owned retailer, is stepping up investment in content creation as customers increasingly find products through AI agents, seeking to keep them engaged in what it called a "difficult economy".The department store group said searches from AI agents had risen to 2.5 per cent from just 0.3 per cent a year ago, and the trend was accelerating."It's exponential, and it's all age groups," said Peter Ruis, managing director of John Lewis department stores. The group unveiled a new studio in its flagship Oxford Street store on Thursday where influencers can record content daily, generating the online buzz that AI taps into. It is also producing its own video content, starting with a regular mini-series starring celebrities. The retailer gave no