Department store giant John Lewis is planning to boost its games offer ahead of the Christmas period, MCV can reveal.

The development follows news that John Lewis will invest £6 million in 30 new standalone stores that will focus on its home and electrical lines, with the first new store format set to open in Poole in October.

The High Street retailer has stocked a limited quantity of consoles in the past, but is now intent on improving its software line-up as video games head further into the mainstream.

“Over the last 24 months, gaming has very much moved from the bedroom to the lounge as Nintendo has made it something families can enjoy together,” said John Lewis’ product development manager for entertainment systems, Tom C Smith.

“We are also seeing the age range of the core gaming population spreading, as those who left it in their teens return to it in their late ‘30s. Grandparents are not just buying gifts at Christmas, they are buying for themselves. More and more John Lewis customers have gaming as part of their lives and expect us to provide solutions.

“Gaming has been a focus over the last 12 months, not just to sell hardware, but investing in our relationships with software suppliers and looking at ways, with limited space, we can provide a coherent assortment. Are we there yet? No. But we will be a lot closer before Christmas.

“Combine this with our award winning customer service from our store partners, taking you through what additional benefits the latest generation of consoles can provide, we believe we are well placed to be part of this very exciting and rapidly changing market.”