The shop opening comes at an exciting time for John Lewis, as the business marks its 150th Anniversary this year.

Prior to the grand opening, John Lewis director of selling Maggie Porteous gave a speech to Partners (staff) about the retailer's commitment to Yorkshire. Branch manager Robert Garnish also reflected on the remarkable transformation the shop had undergone and thanked staff for their hard work and dedication in the run up to the opening.

From 8.30am, 150 customers queued outside the shop eagerly awaiting the chance to explore the shop's extensive product lines across fashion, beauty, consumer electronics, home and nursery.

To officially open the shop, a ribbon was cut by representatives from local organisations that the shop is supporting as part of its charitable giving scheme, Community Matters. The ceremony was attended by Accessible Arts and Media, Arc Life and Independent Domestic Abuse Service.

Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said: 'York has long been a sought after location for us and we're delighted to be able to expand our reach to customers across the Yorkshire region, providing them with more convenient access to our inspiring products and great service. We're looking forward to becoming part of the local community here in York.'

Robert Garnish, branch manager of John Lewis York, said: 'Having grown up in Yorkshire, I am especially excited to be here today as we welcome customers to the shop for the very first time. It's the culmination of many weeks' of hard work and it's fantastic to see how much has been achieved.

'The new shop is perfectly placed to meet customers' needs in the York area, with a wide range of products and services on offer and two premium eateries. We've now employed 300 people for the shop, and I can't wait to get to know each of them as well as all of our new customers.'

Customers coming through the doors at John Lewis York will find:

An extensive beauty range, 17 major beauty brands such as Lancôme, Dior and Bobbie Brown as well as exclusive beauty brands to the shop in the local area including Liz Earle, Nars and Lipstick Queen.

The new shop will bring a host of premium and casual fashion brands across menswear, womenswear, childrenswear and baby. John Lewis York will have over 30 different fashion and accessory brands available for men and women. Major fashion brands on offer will include Seasalt, Ted Baker, Wishbone, Whistles, Levis and Jigsaw, alongside John Lewis own brands such as JOHN LEWIS & co, Kin by John Lewis and Somerset by Alice Temperley. There will be over 70 brands across the store's fashion accessory ranges which includes jewellery, watches and handbags. Brands will include Alex Monroe, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rotary, Lulu Guinness and Calvin Klein.

Customers will have two eateries to choose from, The Hotel Chocolat Coco Bar café on the ground floor or the Place to Eat on the first floor.

Customers will also have access to computer terminals in the shop to enable them to browse and purchase products from the wider johnlewis.com range for next day delivery.

There will also be a range of services on offer to complement the wide product offering, including:

• Personal Styling
• Gift List
• Furnishing Fabrics and Floor Covering
• Tech Services
• Fitted Kitchens and Bathrooms
• Home Design Service.
  
  

Opening hours for John Lewis York will be 9am - 8pm Monday - Friday, 9am - 7pm Saturday and 11am - 5pm on Sundays (browsing and catering 10.30am - 11am).

The shops address is:
John Lewis York
Vangarde Way
Huntington
York
YO32 9AE

Notes to editors

The John Lewis Partnership - The John Lewis Partnership operates 41 John Lewis shops across the UK (31 department stores and 10 John Lewis at home), johnlewis.com, 312 Waitrose shops, waitrose.com and business to business contracts in the UK and abroad. The business has annual gross sales of over £10bn. It is the UK's largest example of worker co-ownership where all 91,000 staff are Partners in the business.

John Lewis - John Lewis, 'Multichannel Retailer of the Year 2014'¹, 'The Nation's Best Retailer'² and 'Best Retailer 2013'³, typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com stocks over 250,000 products, and is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. (www.johnlewis.com). John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products - home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover - delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.

¹ Oracle Retail Week Awards 2014
² Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2013
³ Which? Awards 2013

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Enquiries

For further information please contact:

Laura Tattam
Senior Press Officer, Community, John Lewis
Telephone: 020 7592 5715
Email: laura_tattam@johnlewis.co.uk