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John Lewis to begin reopening stores, here’s what it will be like to shop inside

By Huw Hughes

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Retail

John Lewis has announced it will begin reopening its stores in a “gradual” way from 15 June.

The British retail giant will begin by opening its Poole and Kingston department stores, followed by 11 others on 18 June. Those stores are in Bluewater, Cambridge, Cheadle, Cheltenham, High Wycombe, Horsham, Ipswich, Norwich, Nottingham, Solihull and Welwyn.

These initial branch reopenings, which represent just under a quarter of the retailer’s store network, have been chosen primarily because of their accessibility by car, the company said.

John Lewis will then open further stores “depending on the response from customers and partners to [its] new ways of operating with respect to social distancing.”

Each store will undertake a four-week reopening preparation programme prior to opening its doors. This includes counting and replenishing stock, preparing systems, merchandising, deep cleaning, and the introduction of social distancing measures.

John Lewis introduces new measures in stores

Once inside, shoppers will notice a number of new health and safety measures. They include a reduced number of shop entrances and exits; hand sanitiser provided at entrances; limits on the number of customers allowed inside at any given time; clear social distancing signage; new contactless payment limit of 45 pounds; protective screens at checkouts; “rigorous and frequent” cleaning; and back of house social distancing measures.

The retailer has also adapted some of its traditional services. Close-contact beauty services for example will not be offered, while customer catering outlets and fitting rooms will remain closed until further notice. In line with government guidance, returned items will be separated from new or old stock for 72 hours.

The company said it is also considering other initiatives including virtual queueing, returns drop boxes and enabling Click & Collect from its branch carparks, depending on customer feedback on the first phase of reopenings.

This comes after prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that non-essential stores could reopen from 15 June with added health and safety guidelines - 12 weeks to the day they were forced to shut.

It marked the first time in John Lewis' 155-year history that it closed its 50 department stores. One small silver lining is that the company said it has seen a “significant” uptick in online sales during the lockdown period.

Sharon White, partner and chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said in a statement: “Our shops reopening is a sign of hope as we begin to find our new normal. There’s an opportunity, now, for us, to come back stronger as a business, and offer the safety and reassurance that customers will want.

“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 for our customers and partners.”

Photo credit: John Lewis media centre

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