John Lewis & Partners unveils next stage of Queensgate store development
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Lendlease and Invesco Real Estate, the global real estate investment manager, have announced that John Lewis & Partners have officially unveiled the opening of their entirely new Second Floor, home to Childrenswear, Nursery, Toys, Haberdashery, TV, Audio, Technology, the Bureau de Change and Customer Services.
Alongside a ribbon-cutting, there was a cake and raffle for Partners (employees). For customers there was a visit from Ricky Groves, who plays Buttons in Cinderella at the Cresset, alongside pumpkin carving and a Halloween treasure hunt.
The opening of the Second Floor marks the halfway point of the refurbishment and closely follows the First Floor that launched earlier in the month. The First Floor welcomes the new Place To Eat and Home department, which includes the very first World of Design.
The World of Design is a creative, service-led destination that pulls together all the elements needed to build a perfect interior look, such as paint, wallpaper, fabrics and flooring. Customers can browse at their leisure, drop-in for instant interiors advice or book a session with a Home Design stylist for projects of any scale. (Please see photos attached of the new World of Design space and Place To Eat).
Gary Rowntree, partner and head of branch John Lewis & Partners Peterborough, said: “We hope our customers are as excited as we are to reveal the entirely new Second Floor of our shop and the next phase of the refurbishment. The new floor is home to Childrenswear, Nursery, Toys, Haberdashery, the Bureau de Change and Customer Services. This follows the opening of the First Floor last week, including the Home Department and Place To Eat. Our aim is to create destination shopping spaces that inspire our customers; the new Home department welcomes the first World of Design, a creative service-led interiors destination where our stylists offer a range of free Home Design services. It is great to see our new shop taking shape and we are looking forward to revealing the new Fashion and Beauty departments at the end of November.”
Guy Thomas, head of retail at Lendlease, commented: “The unveiling of ‘John Lewis & Partners’ World of Design and their extensive investment in the store plays a key role in Invesco Real Estate’s commitment to Queensgate and their £21 million development plans. The first stage of their transformation displays a new level of personalised and curated shopping, offering experiences that place our customers at the heart of their brand aligning with Queensgate’s focus. This opening and other key fashion and lifestyle brands choosing to invest in Peterborough, highlights the centre’s strong regional presence and position as a significantly enhanced and evolving retail destination.”
The refurbishment is due to be completed by January 2020. The investment in the shop forms part of John Lewis’s strategy to ensure its shops are destinations that offer an outstanding experience for its customers and a range of products which is increasingly unique to John Lewis.
