John Lewis is extending its use of mobile commerce by launching virtual window displays in seven shops. The move allows the retailer, which does not open its shops for Clearance until December 27, to capitalise on high street footfall on Boxing Day.

From 5pm on Christmas Eve, when John Lewis starts Clearance online, customers passing the Peter Jones, Oxford Street, Brent Cross, Milton Keynes, Reading, Liverpool and Edinburgh branches will be able to use their iPhones to scan the barcodes of Clearance products featured on the window in order to buy them.

After scanning the barcode, the shopper will be linked to the johnlewis.com mobile site, to make the purchase. Goods purchased using the windows between Christmas Eve and December 27 will be delivered in-store on December 28 as part of John Lewis’s successful Click and Collect service. Alternatively customers can opt for a named day home delivery from December 29 onwards.

The windows will be in place for the whole of the Clearance period which ends on Janaury 15 and features thousands of products with discounts of up to 50 per cent.

The move follows a trial window display in the Brighton Waitrose branch which started at the end of November and finishes on December 31.

Simon Russell, head of multi-channel at John Lewis, says: "These innovative window displays offer our customers another way to shop at their convenience from Christmas Eve through to January 15 and this is particularly important on Boxing Day, when John Lewis shops are closed.

“The window displays form part of our coordinated multi-channel approach which includes the roll-out of free WiFi to our shops, the launch of our iPhone app and the extension of Click and Collect which is now available from 129 John Lewis and Waitrose shops."