John Lewis Liverpool ONE launches its first ever Christmas grotto and there’s lots of free festive stuff in-store

John Lewis is bringing Santa to Liverpool this Christmas and you and the kids can meet him.

John Lewis Liverpool is going all-out to create a magical festive experience this year, launching its first ever grotto and offering lots of free events and activities.

The Liverpool ONE store is welcoming Santa to its third floor Christmas department for a traditional grotto in partnership with Lego.

Families will be able to book in online to visit the man himself, share their wishlist and get a Lego or Lego Duplo gift. And every Sunday, there’ll be a quiet hour at the grotto for any children who need or prefer it.

“They can even bring their dog along as well because we welcome dogs in store now so it really is an experience for the whole family,” says Events and marketing Co ordinator Jackie Wild.

The grotto, which has a virtual fireplace to keep things toasty, is one of many Christmas treats John Lewis Liverpool has got lined up this year.

Just outside the grotto youngsters will find a postbox where they can deliver their letters to Santa free of charge – and get a reply posted to their home address.

And it’s not just children who can get in the Christmas spirit. The store will have Fever Tree downstairs with gin tastings and gin crackers with Liverpool Gin for the first time this year.

The Christmas department is also hosting a series of ‘tree-torials’ on Fridays and Saturdays in the run-up to the big day, giving free tips on how to create the perfect festive table decoration, and how to dress your tree like the experts. They’ll be free to join in and happening from 12noon every weekend.

If you’ve got a Christmas party in the diary but are struggling to decide on an outfit, John Lewis’ fashion experts will be on hand at weekends from 1pm in the style studio to offer free advice and ideas on what to wear and how to wear it, so you make a sparkling statement on your night out.

Anyone on the look-out for original gifts is in luck too because the store is having a Maker’s Market in its Christmas Department, in a collaboration with The Great British Exchange. There’ll be pop-ups supporting four different local businesses each week. 

“The store is dressed for Christmas, it looks absolutely fabulous, and it’s got a real festive feel so it’s all about creating a special experience,” says Jackie. “Families and friends can come into town, meet up, take the children to see Santa, get a few ideas from the workshops and then do some shopping in the Maker’s Market to get one-of-a-kind gifts by talented local makers – all on our third floor!”

Find out more here.