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John Lewis has revealed that it will be investing £6m in as many as 30 new standalone stores designed to focus on its home and electricals lines, in a bid to increase the retailer’s coverage.
The first of the new format stores is due to open in October in Poole, Dorset, with the retailer hinting at a further 30 locations around the country which it feels are currently underserved.
"We know our competitors have a much higher coverage in the UK than we do, and our research has how that there are growth opportunities for our business in smaller format shops, giving our customers more convenient access to John Lewis packages," retail director, Gareth Thomas told Retail Week.
The Poole store will stock around two-thirds of the retailer’s full home and electricals range over a selling space of around 45,000 sq ft. In contrast, its recent Liverpool One flagship store is 240,000 sq ft.
The name of the new standalone format has not been revealed, but it is believed that they will be predominately located in and out of town, with a "substantial proportion" based in out of town retail parks.
