March/April 2026 housewareslive.net


RETAILER SPOTLIGHT: LEEKES


bathroom products, while kitchen and lifestyle names including Joseph Joseph and Robert Welch are located nearby. The aim is to make it easier for customers to shop across trusted brands and categories without having to navigate disconnected areas of the store. Increasingly, customers are shopping not by category, but by project


or room. Someone may enter the store looking for kitchen accessories, but also be thinking about lighting, tableware or textiles. To support this behaviour, the retailer has focused on improving the flow between departments and creating stronger cross-category sightlines. Seasonal themes and curated displays help bring these elements together, making it easier for customers to visualise a complete look or solution. This shift towards more integrated shopping experiences is also


evident in the way products are presented. In home styling departments, complementary items are grouped together to create a more cohesive and inspiring environment. Placing lighting alongside pictures and mirrors, for example, allows customers to explore how different elements work together within a space, rather than viewing them in isolation. At the same time, changes in browsing behaviour are influencing


merchandising strategies. “Customers now arrive better informed,” says Ms Littlejohn. “They’ve often browsed online, but they come in looking for validation, inspiration and confidence.” This means merchandising must work harder to capture attention quickly while also making it easy to compare products and understand their value. Leekes has responded by focusing on strong visual merchandising


allowed later stages to be refined,” says Littlejohn, “so the overall result feels more intuitive, more contemporary and better aligned with how people shop today.”


This adaptability has also allowed Leekes to respond to shifts in demand. Clothing, for example, has become an increasingly significant category, creating opportunities to expand complementary accessories nearby. By bringing together products such as bags, scarves, belts and jewellery, the store is better able to reflect how customers naturally shop across categories.


“Customers now arrive better informed. They’ve often browsed online, but they come in looking for validation, inspiration and confidence.”


When it comes to measuring success, traditional metrics such as footfall and sales performance remain important, but they are far from the only indicators. “It’s a combination,” says Ms Littlejohn. “Footfall matters, but so does how customers move through the space, how long they stay and whether they’re discovering more categories.” Dwell time has become particularly significant, reflecting a growing desire among customers for spaces where they can browse and explore. “Since launch, dwell time has risen significantly,” she notes, “and we’ve seen that reflected in increased restaurant sales, which shows customers are spending longer in the store overall.”


Customer first approach At the core of the redevelopment is a simple but powerful idea: designing the store around the customer. Rather than starting with the physical space, Leekes began by analysing how customers actually shop, where they pause, what inspires them and which product adjacencies feel most natural. “Customers told us they want home categories arranged in a way that reflects how they think about their homes,” says Ms Littlejohn, “rather than traditional retail layouts.” This insight has shaped the layout of the home departments, where


related categories are now grouped more intuitively. Textile brands such as Orla Kiely and Laura Ashley are positioned alongside bedroom and


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and regularly refreshed displays, particularly at the front of the store, where cross-department themes showcase seasonal ideas and trends. These displays are designed not only to inspire, but also to encourage customers to explore beyond their original shopping list.


Finding the right balance Within the housewares category, innovation continues to drive growth. Customers are showing increasing interest in products that support health, wellbeing and sustainability, from PFAS-free cookware to recycled household items and improved recycling solutions. “There’s been a significant increase in customers investing in products that improve daily living while also helping the environment,” Ms Littlejohn notes.


Balancing premium and everyday brands remains a key part of the


Leekes proposition. Rather than viewing these as competing offers, the retailer sees them as complementary. Premium brands such as Le Creuset and Robert Welch create aspiration and drive occasion


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