Successful start Crowds queuing as John Lewis opens
QUEUES stretched out on to High Street as John Lewis finally opened in Cheltenham last week.
The new 115,000 sq ft shop, which cost £23million, has been built on the site of what was the Beechwood Shopping Centre, which housed shops such as Debenhams, record store Rise and jewellery outlet Silver Mine.
There were gasps as people saw with their own eyes for the first time what has been achieved, just over two years since the old shopping centre closed.
Reg Lee, a 49-year-old resident of the town centre, got there at 7.30am and claimed pole position at the main High Street entrance.
Mr Lee said that he was keen to report back on what the store was like to his wife, who was not fit enough to be there.
He said: “It’s really nice. I like the layout and I’ve got orders to pick up a bag for the wife as she’s not been well.”
He felt the area at the front of the store seemed a bit narrow but wondered whether that might have been because it was so full of people today.
Mr Lee, who was given a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers by branch manager Martin Bundy, said: “I’ve never been to a shop opening before and this one is the talk of the town.”
There are thousands of products inside the building and the very first one to be sold was L’occitane soap, costing £5.50, from the beauty hall.
The purchase was made at 10.06am, just six minutes after branch manager Martin Bundy declared it opened.
A countdown from 10 to one, featuring some of the shop’s 350 staff holding cards, launched the life of the two-level store.
Not only was there a big queue of people waiting to be first in, but hundreds of others waited to see the opening ceremony.
Dozens of news outlets were represented, eager to capture the moment the biggest retail development in Cheltenham for years kicked off.
There are 49,000 products, which were put on display over 11 days after being brought to the site in 40 doubledecker lorries.
On the ground floor there is the beauty hall, nail and brow bar, experience desk, style studio, womenswear, bureau de change, discovery room, haberdashery, children’s wear, nursery advice, customer collection point and menswear.
On the first floor are home and electrical items, the home design studio, the Place to Eat cafe, Huffkins tea room, lighting and the Christmas assortment.
Shoppers were pleased with what they saw.
Alex Methven, 17, from Cheltenham
liked how the store was set out.
“It’s a lot bigger inside than it looks outside. It’s really big,” he said.
“It’s really well set out. It’s neat and doesn’t feel like it’s too cramped.
“The staff were really helpful and nice and there was a good range of products.”
Sasha Beltran, 32, from Up Hatherley, said: It’s really nice, beautiful.
“It seems a lot better than John Lewis in Bristol.
“It’s bigger than I thought it was going to be. They did a great job.
“It’s going to be amazing for the town. I think everyone will travel to Cheltenham to do their shopping.