Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
John Lewis announced this week that it is to open its second new format shop, John Lewis at Home, in Croydon during the autumn.
The 52,000 sq ft store, which will create 220 new jobs, follows the successful opening of the first John Lewis at Home in Poole last October.
John Lewis has committed to investing a further £7.5m in its “at Home” format, which focuses exclusively on homewares, including housewares, electrical goods and home technology, but the announcement of the latest opening comes before the planned decision on a national roll-out to be taken next month.
The retailer says it is also sticking with its long-term plan to open a department store in Croydon town centre, and that the John Lewis at Home shop will offer a stepping stone that will allow it to build a relationship with customers in Croydon.
John Lewis managing director Andy Street said that the shop in Poole had “performed above expectations since day one, and has given us the confidence to open in Croydon, extend our reach and attract new customers.
“We’ve identified 30 to 50 locations which would be suitable for the John Lewis at Home format, and a decision on this roll-out will be taken in March. In the meantime, the opportunity arose recently to lease an empty unit on Purley Way in Croydon which met new-format location criteria.”
