John Lewis announces plans for York department store
John Lewis has announced plans to open a 100,000 sq ft department store in York as early as autumn 2013.
The retailer is looking to invest more than £15 million in the new flexible format shop which will result in the creation of around 300 new jobs.
The shop will be the second of the retailer’s smaller format stores, the first of which will open in Exeter. The shops average between 65,000 to 100,000 sq ft in size while John Lewis major department stores have selling space of 132,000 sq ft.
Tim Harrison, head of format development for John Lewis said: “These new smaller department stores allow us to open in places we’ve wanted to trade in for years. Our local customers have been travelling to our regional stores at Sheffield and Newcastle, and the new shop in Monks Cross will plug the gap in that regional offer. We have long wanted to have a presence in York but have not been able to find a site or retail-led scheme which we felt was viable and deliverable within our timescales.
“We look forward to providing shoppers with greater convenience and ease of access to our inspiring products, great value and exceptional service.”
John Lewis plans to open five shops in 2012, including John Lewis at home shops in Newbury and Chichester and the Exeter store.
