VIDEO: First look at Peterborough’s revamped John Lewis store

Daevid Mcakie and Julie Nolan cut the ribbon opening the new floor at John Lewis. Queensgate, Peterborough Thursday 24 October 2019. Picture by Terry Harris. THA

John Lewis in Queensgate opened the new-look second floor today, marking the half way point of the huge re-fit.

The floor used to be back of house office space so is entirely new shop floor selling space, and will now be home to Childrenswear, Nursery, Toys, Haberdashery, the Bureau de Change and Customer Services.

The ambitious revamp will finally pave the way for the construction of a long-awaited 10 screen multiplex Empire cinema that will be the focus of a £60 million extension of the Queensgate shopping centre.

After the ribbon was cut, there was a visit from Ricky Groves, who plays Buttons in Cinderella at the Cresset, alongside pumpkin carving and a Halloween treasure hunt.

MORE: £21m revamp for John Lewis Peterborough will pave way for Queensgate cinema

Gary Rowntree, Partner and Head of Branch John Lewis & Partners Peterborough, said: “We hope our customers are as excited as we are to reveal the entirely new Second Floor of our shop and the next phase of the refurbishment. The new floor is home to Childrenswear, Nursery, Toys, Haberdashery, the Bureau de Change and Customer Services. This follows the opening of the First Floor last week, including the Home Department and Place To Eat. Our aim is to create destination shopping spaces that inspire our customers; the new Home department welcomes the first World of Design, a creative service-led interiors destination where our stylists offer a range of free Home Design services. It is great to see our new shop taking shape and we are looking forward to revealing the new Fashion and Beauty departments at the end of November.”

Guy Thomas, Head of Retail at Lendlease, which manages Queensgate, added: “The unveiling of John Lewis & Partners’s World of Design and their extensive investment in the store plays a key role in Invesco Real Estate’s commitment to Queensgate and their £21 million development plans. The first stage of their transformation displays a new level of personalised and curated shopping, offering experiences that place our customers at the heart of their brand aligning with Queensgate’s focus. This opening and other key fashion and lifestyle brands choosing to invest in Peterborough, highlights the centre’s strong regional presence and position as a significantly enhanced and evolving retail destination.”