John Lewis gift list: How does the list service for weddings and birthdays work?

We celebrate many events throughout life: weddings, birthdays, christenings, anniversaries. And where there are celebrations, there are often gifts as well.

If you’re hosting one of these moments, there’s a good chance that the bigger the event, the more gifts you can expect. Coming up with ideas for what you might want, let alone informing everyone, can be a bit of a headache.

Fortunately, however, there are services that cater to this need. One of these services is John Lewis’ gift list. With more than 350,000 products available, there’s more than enough gift ideas to choose from. To figure out how the feature works, we have all you need to know about the ins-and-outs of John Lewis’ gift list.

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John Lewis gift list: What is it exactly?

A John Lewis gift list is fairly simple. It’s a way for people to create and publish a list of gift ideas that can be viewed by others. All of these gifts can be purchased through the John Lewis website or in the retailer’s stores, making it easier for gift shoppers to get something you like and to know where to find it.

How to create a John Lewis gift list

In order to create a gift list, you first need to register for one. This can be done in three ways: online, in a John Lewis store or by calling its customer relations department at 03456 049049. Since you’re already here, we’ll show you how to register using the online method.

To get started, visit John Lewis’ gift list website. Once there, select “Register for The Gift List”. You’ll now be asked to select what type of event you’re registering for and the date it will be taking place. Upon answering those questions, you’ll also be asked to set your delivery preferences and who the gifts are being addressed to.

After following the rest of the instructions and answering the remaining questions, you’ll finally have a gift list. Now all you have to do is add items to it.

To do this, you can either add items online using John Lewis’ website or you can book an appointment at your local John Lewis store. At this appointment, you’ll be provided with a scanner to scan items in the store, which will then be added to your online gift list.

How to share a John Lewis gift list

Having created a gift list, you now need to make sure that your guests can find it. Fortunately, sharing your list is simple. When registering for your gift list, you can also request for an option called “invitation inserts”. These are printable cards that you can send alongside your paper invites, helping to direct your guests to the gift list.

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How to edit a John Lewis gift list after it’s been published

If you’ve made a mistake or simply wish to make some changes to your gift list, there are a number of ways to do this. For instance, if you want to remove an item that hasn’t been purchased, all you have to do is change the quantity of the item in the “gifts available to buy” section on your gift list online account. Alternatively, you can contact your local John Lewis branch to remove the item for you.

You may have noticed that we just mentioned changing the quantity of your item, too. If you want multiple items of the same product, you simply have to increase its quantity. Similarly, if you want less, just set the quantity amount lower.

What happens to items that are purchased on the guest list?

To avoid multiple guests purchasing the same item, products are removed from your list once they have been bought by someone. After being removed from a list, John Lewis will immediately secure and hold on to the item until its delivery.

Interestingly, certain items will only be secured after John Lewis has confirmed with you that you’re happy with all of the items that have been purchased, which you’ll be asked before you close down the gift list.

This is done for a few reasons. One is to ensure the creator of the gift list has enough time to purchase any remaining products from the list. It can also be because certain items may be from the same supplier and can only be dispatched at the same time. If two separate guests purchased two different items at two different times from the same manufacturer, those items may have to be ordered by John Lewis as part of a package, rather than individually.

Once the gift list’s stated event date draws nearer and all purchases have been confirmed, you’ll be contacted by the John Lewis gift list department to make sure you’re happy with the orders that have been made. If you are, they will arrange a delivery date with you and those orders will be delivered to the address you gave during the registration process, free of charge.

How to find and buy items from someone’s gift list

If you wish to view someone’s gift list, visit John Lewis’ gift list search page. Arriving there, you’ll be given the option to enter the number of the gift list and a possible password. This information will have been provided at the point you were invited to view the gift list by its creator. Enter the number to be taken to the gift list page.

If you haven’t received the gift list number or can’t remember it, you can instead type in the name of the list organiser and the date of the event that you’re attending. Either of these choices will allow you to view and browse the gift list and purchase items from it.