‘A teddy bear’s for life…’: John Lewis launches soft toy repair service

Department store chain John Lewis has today (9 September) launched a teddy bear and soft toy repair service in time for the festive season.

Nearly all John Lewis shops and more than 200 Waitrose shops are set to offer the repair service, which is part of the business’s partnership with Timpson Group-owned Johnsons.

The announcement was held back for National Teddy Bear Day, which took place yesterday (9 September).

From 24 September, consumers will be able to bring in their soft toys – no matter how threadbare – into participating John Lewis and Waitrose shops for a deep clean, a “teddy tidy”, and any minor repairs. Services will start from £10, with options including everything from restuffing and resewing to replacing a missing eye.

Expert training is being provided from BBC’s The Repair Shop stars Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch – also known as the ‘teddy bear ladies’ – to support the service. The pair hosted workshops to train the Johnsons’ team on the art of toy restoration.

John Lewis said its Johnsons repair service, which began in July 2024, has already completed over 2,300 repairs this year. Repairing items helps keep goods in circulation for longer, and the sustainability theory goes that the more people choose to repair items, the less demand there will be for products using virgin materials.

Katie Papakonstantinou, director of services & hospitality at John Lewis, commented: “We’re really pleased to be launching our new teddy bear repair and refresh service.

“We know how much these cuddly companions mean to our customers, so we’re delighted to give them a new lease of life. Whether it is a missing eye to a much-needed wash, our expert ‘teddy surgeons’ are ready to work their magic. After all, a bear isn’t just for Christmas!”

Gary O’Malley, operations manager at Johnsons, remarked: “Working with the teddy bear ladies means we can offer truly expert care – breathing new life into cherished companions for generations to come.”

John Lewis Swindon and the store in Canary Wharf are the only sites in the retailer’s estate not offering the repair service. Prior to this announcement Waitrose offered only a dry cleaning service across 200 shops in association with Johnsons but it now offers repairs, in a further extension of this burgeoning partnership.

[image credit: Rekha Damhar for John Lewis]