John Lewis has today announced details of a £24 million refurbishment scheme for its 160,000sq ft Edinburgh store, which anchors the St James Centre.
The money will go towards improvements throughout the shop including a new, additional shopping floor, a new cafe and a new tech product area.
It will also finance a reconfiguration of the shop, to make it easier to shop while the rest of the St James Centre is being redeveloped.
Work at John Lewis‘ shop in the Scottish capital has already commenced, with the installation of a new entrance on Leith Street with new lifts, new parking spaces, and a new customer collections area for click-and- collect services.
In addition, a new gift, stationery and candle shop opened at the main entrance on the ground floor earlier this year.
Most of the changes are expected to be complete by the end of May, including the opening of the new shopping floor on level five which will come with views of Edinburgh, a new The Place to Eat and electricals department, and a new Smart Home concept department that brings gadgets and tech into one space.
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John Lewis Edinburgh will be the first of the retailer’s shops in Scotland to offer a Smart Home area.
Alongside the Smart Home concept, a new electrical department will be unveiled, which will include a photography station with one of the widest ranges of cameras and accessories in the capital.
The refurbishment scheme is expected to be fully complete by August.
“This is one of the biggest refurbishments the shop has seen in its 43 years and an incredibly exciting moment in our history,” John Lewis head of branch Barry Blamire said.
“As the retail landscape changes, we adapt and evolve our shops to ensure we continue to meet our customers‘ needs and expectations.
“This major investment will give customers more interactive shopping experiences while retaining the same excellent level of service from our partners.
“We’re working through the night to ensure there is minimum impact on our customers and would like to thank our loyal customers for their patience as the shop is transformed. We look forward to unveiling our new look shop and exciting new additions.”
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