John Lewis department store in Peterborough is to shut for good

  • Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Graham Stothard

The John Lewis shop in Peterborough is among eight that the company says will not reopen after lockdown measures are lifted.

The move will put 1,465 jobs at risk across the country. The department store retailer told staff on Wednesday morning that it will not reopen the stores after lockdown measures lift, as it undergoes a major shift in strategy to adapt to changing shopping habits.

The eight shops set to close comprise four 'At Home' stores in Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester and Tunbridge Wells and four department stores in Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York.

It said its remaining 34 John Lewis shops in England will reopen from 12 April subject to Government guidance.

The John Lewis shop in the Queengate Shopping Centre in Peterborough has been open for nearly four decades and has more than 300 staff.

John Lewis says there is another shop 42 miles away in Cambridge and a Waitrose within half a mile.

The John Lewis shop in Peterborough's Queengate Shopping Centre will not reopen after lockdown measures are lifted. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The announcement came eight months after the high street stalwart closed another eight stores, in a move which cut around 1,300 jobs, in the first stage of a sweeping overhaul.

The John Lewis shops in the Anglia region that are planned to reopen on 12 April are:

  • Cambridge

  • Ipswich

  • Chelmsford

  • Milton Keynes

  • Welwyn Garden City

  • Norwich

Pippa Wicks, Executive Director for John Lewis, said: “Closing stores is the toughest thing we do as a Partnership because we all own our business.

"If the closures are confirmed, every effort will be made to find new roles for Partners and for us to continue to serve our customers by providing access to John Lewis in different ways.

“Alongside a growing online business and the expansion of next day Click & Collect, we will invest in our in-store services and experiences, as well as new, smaller neighbourhood formats and the introduction of John Lewis ranges in more Waitrose shops.”