The department store chain is channelling £50m across five locations this year, with Cambridge among those marked for significant investment as part of an £800m programme to reinvent the brand’s physical presence.
The announcement forms part of the latest phase of multi-million transformation programme designed to turn John Lewis’s 36 stores into what the company is calling “retail destinations.”
What’s changing
Cambridge along with Glasgow, Leicester, and Reading will receive several refurbishments this year, while Liverpool will see further enhancements following investment made in 2025. While a specific figure has not yet been disclosed for the Cambridge store, John Lewis has confirmed that the works will bring new brands, elevated products, and updated in-store experiences.
With the refurbishments in place the company intends to respond to the evolving customer expectations particularly personal services, growing appetite for expert advice, and spaces that blend shopping with hospitality.
The experience economy comes to department stores
The investment reflects a broader strategic bet John Lewis is making. Rather than competing with online shopping on convenience alone, the company is leaning into what bricks-and-mortar can uniquely offer.
As outlined in their official statement, last year, John Lewis recorded a record number of appointments across services such as personal styling and nursery advice. Hospitality now accounts for more than one in five store transactions — a figure the company says reflects demand for visits that combine shopping, services, and food or drink in a single outing.
“Whether customers shop with us online, in our shops or across both, they expect the same trusted advice, service and experience.”
— Peter Ruis, Managing Director, John Lewis
Pete Ruis also framed the investment as “more than just a fresh look” and “about creating places where customers love to spend their time.”
Glasgow leads with a landmark spend
Glasgow is the headline act of this year’s programme receiving more than £20m making it the single largest investment John Lewis has made in one store in recent years. The work will cover a full redevelopment by redesigning the whole space introducing new products and brand partners.
The financial logic behind
John Lewis serves its customers with market-leading service and their financial logic for the continued investment is pretty straightforward: it works. Previously stores that have undergone refurbishment have reported consistent sales growth and improved customer satisfaction scores in return.
Those satisfaction metrics have translated into wide recognition. The company was ranked the UK’s number one retailer in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index and recently won the Which? Retailer of the Year award.
“The response from customers to the improvements we’ve already made gives us confidence to continue investing for the long term.”
— Peter Ruis, Managing Director, John Lewis
The retailer is not alone in rethinking what a department store needs to be. Across the sector, established chains have been navigating the tension between a shift to online spending and persistent demand for in person retail. John Lewis appears to be wagering that the answer lies not in downsizing physical presence, but in deepening it.
No timeline for the completion of the Cambridge works has yet been announced. John Lewis said that all 36 stores across its estate will receive investment over time, with the pace and scale of each determined by the programme’s ongoing rollout.
