Press releases
John Lewis Cardiff prepares to open its doors
23 September 2009
John Lewis Cardiff will officially open tomorrow, with queues of shoppers expected to descend on Wales' newest, and largest, department store.
After months of anticipation, the shop will open its doors at 09:30am on Thursday 24 September, giving shoppers access to over 350,000 products across four floors and 170,000 sq ft of selling space.
John Lewis Cardiff managing director, Liz Mihell, says: 'Our opening on Thursday is the culmination of a lot of hard work and preparation, so we're delighted to have reached such a landmark occasion. Cardiff is a growing and vibrant city and to be a part of such an exciting time in its history feels very special.'
Crowds waiting outside the shop will be treated to entertainment from a samba band and jugglers, while John Lewis rickshaws will drop off people at the new shop and models will act as living mannequins in the city centre to showcase the new and exclusive fashion brands on offer. Inside the shop Cardiff Arms Park male voice choir will perform to entertain people as they browse.
The 280,000 sq ft shop, which is the principal anchor for the landmark St David's development, is opening a month ahead of the rest of the centre. It is the second largest in the John Lewis Partnership and the largest branch outside London and will feature fashion, furniture and homeware products.
Over the past few months passers-by have seen the shop take shape from the outside, with the installation of external signs and a large glass prow sitting at the end of the Hayes. From Thursday shoppers will be able to take a look inside.
Liz continued: 'Having lived in Cardiff for several months, I've felt a growing sense of excitement from the people of Wales, so we're extremely proud to now share with them the John Lewis shopping experience for the first time.
'We look forward to welcoming shoppers to our opening celebrations. There will be much to see and enjoy, not only inside the shop, but with the free entertainment we'll have on The Hayes from Thursday and through the weekend.'
Shoppers will also be among the first to experience John Lewis' new womenswear concept, with Cardiff the first John Lewis branch to showcase a new look for the fashion department. This includes a designer area, contemporary fixtures for jewellery and accessories, a denim wall and a feature ceiling. The concept has no defined walkways, allowing shoppers a sense of discovery.
Womenswear brands will include Stella McCartney Lingerie, a new and exclusive brand for Cardiff, along with Elie Tahari, Mulberry, Tanya Sarne for John Lewis and Les Petites. The store will also house menswear brands such as Ralph Lauren, Belstaff, John Smedley, Zegna Sport and Hackett.
In another first for John Lewis, shoppers will be able to browse for products on Johnlewis.com from computer access points on the shop floor.
Enquiries
For further information, please contact:
Siân Grieve at Freshwater
Telephone: 02920 545 387
Mobile: 07849 126 796
Notes to editors
The John Lewis Partnership - The John Lewis Partnership operates 27 department stores across the UK, johnlewis.com, 215 Waitrose supermarkets and Greenbee.com, a direct services company. The business has an annual turnover of over £6.9bn. It is the UK's largest example of worker co-ownership where all 69,000 staff are Partners in the business.
John Lewis - John Lewis, 'Britain's favourite retailer 2008'* typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines. The website stocks over 70,000 lines focused on the best of fashion, beauty, home and giftware and electrical items including online exclusives. johnlewis.com is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. (www.johnlewis.com)
* Verdict consumer satisfaction index, January 2009
Waitrose - Waitrose, voted 'Britain's favourite supermarket' in three independent surveys so far this year† combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop. It offers fresh and frozen foods, wines and groceries as well as delicatessen, cheese, fresh fish, meat, patisserie and hot-food counters. Waitrose is dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced combined with high standards of customer service. (www.waitrose.com)
† Which? Survey, January 2009; BBC Watchdog viewer survey, February 2009; Good Housekeeping Awards, February 2009
Greenbee.com - Greenbee.com offers a range of financial, travel and leisure services selected by the John Lewis Partnership. These include home, travel, pet, wedding and event and car insurance products, life cover and a phone and broadband package, along with travel offers and the latest theatre, event, music and sport tickets. www.greenbee.com)
back to top
Go to the Press releases