Good news for many gift suppliers is that John Lewis has confirmed that it will be initially re-opening two department stores at Kingston and Poole on June 15, with a further 11 stores – Bluewater, Cambridge, Cheadle, Cheltenham, High Wycombe, Horsham, Ipswich, Norwich, Nottingham, Solihull and Welwyn – opening on Thursday June 18. Depending on the response from customers and Partners, more stores will open throughout the summer.
The retailer has confirmed that it plans to open just under a quarter of its shops, with the decision to open certain branches based on their accessibility by car.
“Our shops re-opening is a sign of hope as we begin to find our new normal,” stated Sharon White, Partner & chairman of the John Lewis Partnership (JLP). “There’s an opportunity for us to come back stronger as a business and offer the safety and reassurance that customers will want.”
She continued: “However, while we have experience of social distancing in our Waitrose shops, we will need to establish new ways of working in our department stores. We are taking this cautious approach to be able to learn as we go and to make sure that our shops are as safe as they can possibly be.”
New measures being put in place include the introduction of a Customer Service Host assigned to welcome customers into the store and answer any questions. They will also be tasked with managing customer numbers as well as queues at entrances and in busy areas of the shop.
Other initiatives being considered include virtual queueing, returns drop boxes and enabling Click & Collect from branch car parks.
Although John Lewis temporarily closed its 50 department stores on March 23, johnlewis.com has continued to operate successfully, and has seen a significant uplift in sales.
Top: John Lewis getting ready to re-open 13 of its department stores during the week beginning June 15.
