John Lewis to celebrate 150 anniversary and 'a better way of doing business'

British department store group John Lewis is preparing to launch a series

of commemorative events in honor of its 150 year anniversary, to celebrate how the business has grown from a small draper's shop opened in 1864 to an internationally acclaimed company.

Last month John Lewis reported that gross annual sales had grown 7.5 percent and passed the 4 billion pound mark for the first time, as the John Lewis Partnership, UK's largest example of worker co-ownership, paid a bonus of 202.5 million pounds to all 91,000 members of staff, nearly equal to eight weeks pay.

In celebration of how much John Lewis has grown, the group is set to open an interactive exhibition in its flagship store on Oxford Street on May 2, which is said to act as the 'heart of the celebrations'. The exhibition will allow visitors to explore John Lewis's heritage and how the brand grew from one mans idea of 'a better way of doing business'.

The exhibition will feature a recreation of the retailer's original draper's store which leads John Spedan Lewis office, who was the founder of the John Lewis Partnership and believed that all workers should be co-owners and share the success of his company. The exhibition will also feature the work of designers and brands offered in stores as well as John Lewis's own textile mill with a weave.

The rooftop of the Oxford Street store will also be opened to the public for the first time, as John Lewis teamed up with Tony Woods, the royal Horticultural Society National Younger Designer of the Year to transform the urban rooftop and offer its visitors unique views of the city.

The department store group has also teamed up with a number of Britain's most established designers and brands to offer exclusive products which have been produced in honor of the anniversary and John Lewis will be the first store to launch Orla Kiely's exclusive new menswear range.

Other John Lewis stores across the UK will also host their own regional activities for customers from 3 May and each store will be working in partnership with Barnardos to support local charity initiatives. A special television advert will also be aired from the first week of May to start the celebrations.