John Lewis at Home to open in Croydon

  John Lewis has secured its second new format shop, John Lewis at Home, in Croydon, Surrey.   The 52,000 sq ft shop is located on a site owned by supermarket retailer Tesco, on Purley Way.   John Lewis will invest a further £7.5m into the branch, which will sell home merchandise, including electrical and home technology.   John Lewis opened its first ‘at home’ format near Poole, in Dorset, last October.   Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said: “Our shop in Poole has performed above expectations since day one and has given us the confidence to open in Croydon, extend our reach and attract new customers.   “We’ve identified 30-50 locations which would be suitable for the ‘John Lewis at Home’ format and a decision on this roll out will be taken in March.   “In the meantime, the opportunity arose recently to lease an empty unit on Purley Way in Croydon, which met new format location criteria.”   Tim Harrison, head of format development at John Lewis, said: “John Lewis at home in Poole has proven that a smaller format works and has been very well received by customers for its convenience and ease.   “The Poole branch was completed in just five months, which is the fastest we’ve ever delivered a new shop.   “This short period of time demonstrates that John Lewis has the ability to move at pace with our ‘at home’ format.”   Eoin Dardis, corporate affairs manager at Tesco, said: “We want to see the site on Purley Way brought back into use as quickly as possible for the long term.   “The creation of jobs and significant investment are key drivers to economic growth.   “We will be working with the council to ensure that this investment is secured well into the future.”   annabel.dixon@estatesgazette.com