John Lewis in Carphone Warehouse tie-up

Carphone Warehouse has teamed up with John Lewis to offer mobile phones at the department store.

Staff from the mobile phone retailer are working alongside John Lewis employees as part of a “buddy system” to tailor offers to consumers’ needs.

The trial features pay-as-you-go and contract deals, on offer at four of the group’s stores in London, Kingston, Newcastle and Peterborough. If the pilot scheme proves successful, the offer could be rolled out across the country.

Customers can choose from an “edited assortment” of phones. Ed Connolly, central buyer, audio and television, explains: “There is an enormous, confusing range of phones and contracts available.

“We decided that one way to differentiate our offer was to select what we considered the key phones, to make it easier for customers to choose the package that suits them.”

Some 22 contract handsets, including some with cameras and MP3 players, are part of the pilot scheme. Connolly adds: “Working in partnership with Carphone Warehouse will enable us to bring customers the latest technology with a choice of tariffs.”

Separately, John Lewis is understood to be talking to roster agencies about an integrated brief to expand its financial services portfolio beyond its credit card.