John Lewis confirms it will never reopen city’s Grand Central store
BIRMINGHAM’S John Lewis store will never reopen at Grand Central, it has now been confirmed.
John Lewis announced in July that it was permanently closing its Birmingham store at Grand Central in a bombshell blow for the city – but it had been hoped the decision would be reversed.
Mayor Andy Street, who used to run the company, told a regional briefing that attempts to halt closure had failed.
He said: “They have confirmed to their staff that the proposal to close in central Birmingham has become a reality and it will not now reopen.
“It is a great shame therefore that the retailer has decided to quit the city rather than attempt to make a success of any alternative proposal with our support.
“Having had a productive meeting and correspondence with John Lewis bosses, including the chair Dame Sharon White, we are astounded by the decision to press ahead with the closure.
“That is despite myself, Ian Ward (city council leader) and Neil Rami (West Midlands Growth Company) having met with them and put what we believed were very viable alternatives that they have chosen not to accept.’’
The mayor had vowed to challenge the decision when he discovered his former company was closing the store, calling it a “dreadful mistake”.
CBI West Midlands regional director Richard Butler said it was a devastating blow for the city. He added: “This shows the depth and breadth of the economic challenge facing Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
“We need these businesses to survive and thrive to support our region in the months ahead.”
John Lewis has permanently closed eight of its department stores since the pandemic hit.
It is believed the Grand Central store had been struggling financially even before the coronavirus lockdown.
The group estimated that between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of John Lewis sales are set to be made online this year and next, compared with 40 per cent before the coronavirus crisis.