Overview
- John Lewis confirmed on Wednesday that it will spend more than £50 million across several UK branches this year and that a £20 million, year-long refurbishment at its Buchanan Galleries Glasgow store will begin next week.
- The Glasgow overhaul will run in phases across all five floors, opening the ground-floor 'World of Tech' and sports area by late September and completing the beauty and fragrance hall by late spring 2027.
- Other targeted projects include a mid-July start in Cambridge with completion planned this autumn and a multi-million makeover in Reading also due to finish this autumn, with works in Leicester and further enhancements in Liverpool as part of the same tranche.
- John Lewis says stores will stay open throughout the phased works so customers can use new concessions, shop-in-shops and services as areas reopen, and the chain has already added pop-ups and concessions such as Pottery Barn, West Elm and Topshop in some branches.
- The spending is part of a wider, multi-year £800 million programme to reshape all 36 UK stores into multi-sensory retail destinations, a move welcomed by landlords and local leaders as a boost to city-centre retail and footfall.