John Lewis opens store at Heathrow's new Terminal 2

British department store group John Lewis has opened its first store airport at the new 2.5 billion pound Terminal 2 in London’s Heathrow airport, as The Queen's Terminal officially opened its door earlier this morning. Located on the top floor of the new departure lounge, the 3,600 square foot is said to

be the largest space that Heathrow has ever allotted to a fashion driven retailer and is one of the first stores passengers see after passing through security checks. The airport store offers John Lewis's own-brands for homeware, fashion gifts and seasonal ranges as well as designers brands, collaborations and exclusive collections. Brands on sale in John Lewis's 42nd store include Barbour, Weekend Collection by John Lewis, Croft and Hackett.

Terminal 2 gives John Lewis access to "one of the most influential markets in the world”

“This opening is a significant step forward in developing our international strategy,” said Paula Nickolds, buying and brand director at John Lewis. “Terminal 2 will serve 20 million passengers each year and will offer John Lewis access to one of the most concentrated, valuable and influential markets in the world.”

John Lewis currently delivers to 33 countries outside of the UK and Ireland, which is equal to 75 percent of destinations that fly out of Terminal 2. The new store opening coincides with the department store's 150th anniversary this year and the ongoing expansion of John Lewis's international wholesale business, in partnership with five Shinsegae department sores in South Korea.

“We hope to bring the John Lewis brand to a wider set of international customers- showcasing our offer within a dynamic environment, building brand awareness and credibility as a worldwide brand,” added Nickolds.

“This marks the John Lewis brand’s first opening in such a location – giving the chain access to the lucrative travel market,” commented retail data analyst firm Planet Retail. “It also shows how far John Lewis has come in terms of format adaptability – launching smaller-format at home stores in 2009, and more recently a flexible department store format. Prior to 2009 it only operated its standard and much larger department store concept - limiting expansion opportunities.”

According to a recent survey from market research firm, YouGov, 27 percent of UK adults shop at airport stores. From the 4,259 individuals questioned, 47 percent of the women revealed they savor looking around airport stores, with 27 percent of men concurred, highlighting the growing trend to spend time shopping at an airport prior to a flight.

As part of its ongoing development scheme, John Lewis announced plans last month to open a 'Click & Commute' store in St Pancras station. Slated to open this fall, the store will be the department store group's first convenience format and will pilot a new way for consumers to shop and become familiar with John Lewis. If proven to be successful, the format may be rolled out to other transport area and high street locations.