John Lewis takes on a new direction with new store format.

Britain’s favourite retailer 2008*, John Lewis, has announced the launch of a new shop format that will focus specifically on the home sector, including electrical and home technology.

The department chain has identified up to 30 possible locations for the new stores across the UK. 

The first store will open in an out-of-town retail park in Poole, Dorset in October 2009 and will create up to 100 new jobs. With approximately 45,000sq ft of selling space, the new format store will launch an innovative way of working for John Lewis.

Andy Street, Managing Director of John Lewis, said: “This is a significant departure for our business. Poole will be our first new format shop for 20 years. Like our full line Department stores the new format John Lewis will bring our differentiated service, inspiring products and great value to a new market.”

The launch of the new stores may come as a surprise to some following the 2008 trading statement released in March this year. The company reported a decline of 26% in profits for 2008 and said that “2009 will be another difficult trading year”. Early sales figures for this year were already showing a 6.8% drop for its department stores. 

However, Retail Director Gareth Thomas said they had found evidence to support the launch:  “The new format is based on a enormous amount of research which showed that there are areas of the country where consumers wanted to be able to shop at a John Lewis branch within a 40 minute journey of their home.”

The new format stores will add to the John Lewis Partnership, which already operates 27 department stores, 200 Waitrose supermarkets and Greenbee.com, a direct services company.

*Verdict consumer satisfaction index, January 2009.