Shoppers in Gloucestershire can breathe a sigh of relief, as John Lewis in Cheltenham will be reopening on Monday 12 April 2021.
There were fears the store may close permanently, as John Lewis announced it would not be reopening eight of its 42 stores across the UK.
Thankfully the Cheltenham store was spared, with ‘At Home’ stores in Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester and Tunbridge Wells and department stores in Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York being earmarked for closure.
The closures will put 1,465 jobs at risk, with John Lewis promising to consult with the people affected and ‘make every effort to find alternative roles in the Partnership for as many Partners as possible.’
The eight closures are in locations where John Lewis say it is no longer profitable to have a large store due to a lack of customers, with the brand saying it will ‘reshape’ the business to respond to the shift towards online shopping during lockdown.
It expects that 60 to 70 per cent of all future sales will be made online.
The closing stores were already ‘financially challenged’ before the pandemic hit and John Lewis believes that their performance cannot be drastically improved.
Luckily for John Lewis fans in Gloucestershire, the Cheltenham department store will reopen on Monday 12 April 2021, providing the government’s roadmap out of lockdown continues successfully.
