John Lewis buys Opun to boost service credentials

Shoppers will be able to use Opun, which manages home improvement projects on behalf of customers, to construct and install products bought from John Lewis’ homewares range.

The business will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the John Lewis Partnership and will retain the Opun brand.

Opun was only founded three years ago and employs around 50 staff across two offices.

Its acquisition by John Lewis is the latest example of retailers leveraging services in a bid to attract and retain customers.

Ikea acquired odd-job firm TaskRabbit, which sends workers to people’s homes to carry out chores such as assembling flat-pack furniture, while John Lewis had already been trialling a Home Solutions service of its own.

John Lewis director of commercial operations Sean Allam said: “John Lewis is known for its home product offer, and for delivering exceptional customer service.

“Opun’s commitment to end-to-end customer service chimes with our values, and we think it’s a great fit for John Lewis customers.

“This acquisition will improve our capability in the home services market, built through our own trials with John Lewis Home Solutions.”

Opun founders Rod Brown and John Cushing added: “We founded Opun with a view to revolutionising the home improvement experience, putting customer values first and delivering a world class service using technology as our backbone.

“We are delighted to be joining John Lewis, which shares the same values as Opun.”