The British high street has many great institutions but this year John Lewis celebrates 150 years. Here are five fast facts on the iconic British department store…
From its humble beginnings as a drapers shop on Oxford Street in 1854, John Lewis has grown into a British high street staple and a nationwide chain. Here are some facts about it you may not have known:
1. In 1905, John Lewis bought Peter Jones in Sloane Square, which is considered by many to be the flagship London store.
2.The founder’s son, John Spedan Lewis, set up the John Lewis Partnership and the in-house magazine, the Gazette, which was first published in 1918.
3. The first store outside London was opened in 1933 in Nottingham.
4. John Lewis was one of the few shops in the UK which also shut on a Monday to allow staff a two-day weekend until the relaxation of Sunday trading laws.
5. Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2 is home to the first airport outlet of the store.
To celebrate its anniversary, the store has dug deep into its archives and brought out some patterns that have been used on homeware and clothing as unique anniversary pieces. There have also been many designer collaborations with the likes of Alex Monroe, Hobbs, Joules.
Find out more about John Lewis’s anniversary pieces.
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