Mall branch safe as John Lewis to shut eight stores

JOHN Lewis has announced plans to close eight of its stores across the UK – but Bristol’s branch at Cribbs Causeway will remain open.

The closures are a result of a dramatic fall in sales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and will put thousands of jobs at risk.

Two full-size department stores in Birmingham and Watford are due to close, as well as four At Home shops in Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth, and two travel hub outlets at Heathrow and St Pancras.

The retailer said the eight shops were already “financially challenged” before the pandemic, which has ramped up the shift towards online shopping.

The company estimated 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.

John Lewis at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, reopened on June 25 with safety measures in place, including a limit on the number of customers allowed in the store.