Waterstones is set to open two new bookshops within John Lewis stores following popular demand.

The bookseller teamed up with the department store chain last October to open a shop-in-shop on the second floor of its Oxford Street flagship.

John Lewis said the reception to the in-store bookshop had been “overwhelmingly positive” and was expanding its partnership to launch a Waterstones in its stores in Cheadle on August 29 and Bluewater on September 12.

Both spaces will stock nearly 20,000 books, including non-fiction, fiction and children’s books.

The news comes as Waterstones has increased its funding facilities by £125m, which it said would support the business‘ ongoing financial needs and future growth.

Waterstones chief operating officer Kate Skipper said: “We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with John Lewis and unveiling two new Waterstones bookshops within John Lewis Bluewater and John Lewis Cheadle, as we aim to bring a bookshop to even more readers.

“Both shops will be fully ranged bookshops and staffed with expert Waterstones booksellers, adding personal reading recommendations and extensive bookshop ranges to these flagship John Lewis stores.”

John Lewis director of hospitality and services Katie Papakonstantinou added: “The response to our first bookshop in Oxford Street was overwhelmingly positive, proving that our customers love the experience of being able to browse a curated collection of books as part of their John Lewis visit.

“This is a key part of our strategy to invest in our existing stores, enhancing them as exciting destinations for our customers and showcasing the experiential role that physical retail can play.”

John Lewis unveiled its newly refurbished and upsized beauty hall at its Liverpool One store last week as it kicks off a multi-million-pound rollout of “beauty discovery destinations” across its estate.

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