'Fantastic’ store sees record investment

Nov 6 2007 By The Journal

HAVING now been one of the leading department stores in the North-East for more than 50 years, John Lewis Newcastle continues to show its commitment to the region with a record level of investment in the branch.

All partners at John Lewis Newcastle were delighted to achieve record sales in the first half of this year, and are now very much looking forward to serving their customers over the festive period.

What John Lewis has to offer this Christmas is a fantastic shop with 155,000 sq ft of seasonal excitement. Customers can complement their shopping experience by visiting one of John Lewis’ three catering offers: the Place to Eat, Espresso Bar or the impressive Brasserie, which opened in the shop just over a year ago, where customers can enjoy a relaxing dining experience overlooking Eldon Square.

The special nature of John Lewis can be sampled with events, promotions and demonstrations in the branch in the run up to Christmas.

One of John Lewis’ key assets is its staff, known as partners. John T Hayes, managing director of John Lewis Newcastle, said: “The partners here in John Lewis Newcastle have had some great achievements in 2007. The branch has achieved the accolades of having the best call centre and being the number one for customer service in the John Lewis department stores division.

“I believe this is down to our friendly, flexible, experienced and knowledgeable partners that we have in this branch, helped along by the continued support of the local community.”

This base is helped by the product offering at John Lewis which includes a wide range of branded and John Lewis own brand products. There’s also a series of add-on services including a five-year guarantee on audio, a three-year guarantee on electrical products, free connection, delivery and removal of wet appliance products, a six-day free delivery operation plus a seven-day delivery on most ranges of furniture.

Mr Hayes added: “On top of the product and the partners is the continued investment that we are making in our business in Newcastle, and the great support we have from the city council and Capital Shopping Centres.

“The investment in Eldon Square means that we will continue to be the leading destination for shoppers this autumn and I very much look forward to welcoming all our customers to John Lewis Newcastle and Eldon Square this Christmas.”