John Lewis to invest 50 million pounds in latest store upgrade plan

Department store John Lewis has announced that it will be investing 50 million pounds across five of its stores this year as part of its long-term programme to transform and elevate all 36 of its stores “into retail destinations for customers to discover, explore, and enjoy”.

This latest round of investment will see Glasgow, Cambridge, Leicester, Reading and Liverpool receiving funds to refurbish the stores into environments “that meets customers’ wants and needs,” explains the retailer in a statement.

Glasgow will receive the most money, with the store earmarked to receive more than 20 million pounds, marking the largest single-store investment made by the brand in recent years. The refurbishment plan will see every floor of the 28,000-square-metre store upgraded across fashion, beauty, home and technology. The store will remain open throughout the refurbishment, with the phased transformation running through to spring 2027.

Alongside Glasgow, multi-million-pound investments will be made in the John Lewis Cambridge, Leicester and Reading stores, while the Liverpool store will receive further enhancements following its investment last year, which saw the store expand its beauty hall by almost 40 percent to 16,000 square feet.

Peter Ruis, managing director of John Lewis, said: “Whether customers shop with us online, in our shops or across both, they expect the same trusted advice, service and experience.

“We’re continuing to invest across our estate, so our shops reflect the things customers value most about John Lewis - expert guidance, inspiring products and the confidence to make the right choice. These investments are about more than just a fresh look; they are about creating places where customers love to spend their time.

“The response from customers to the improvements we’ve already made gives us confidence to continue investing for the long term.”

John Lewis continues to invest in physical retail

This investment is the latest acceleration of John Lewis’s wider 800-million-pound brand transformation, where every store will benefit from investment designed to improve the customer experience in response to what the retailer calls “changing customer expectations,” specifically the growing demand for inspiration, expert guidance from staff, and a seamless cross-channel experience.

John Lewis adds that the refurbishments will bring new brands, elevated products and experiences, such as tailored expert advice and personal styling, which in turn will draw customers into stores. The retailer adds that refurbished stores have consistently achieved sales growth following investment, alongside improvements in customer satisfaction.

It also notes that customers are using John Lewis stores differently, such as last year it hosted a record number of appointments across personal styling and nursery advice, and hospitality now accounts for more than one in five store transactions, reflecting a growing demand “for stores that combine shopping, services, and hospitality in a single visit”.

The latest investment sits alongside the transformation of John Lewis' hospitality offer, with its new Platter John Lewis concept being rolled out across 32 cafés and restaurants by the end of 2027.