Basingstoke customers will discover one of the first ever Home Hubs in the John Lewis shop, a dedicated area bringing together all of John Lewis's home design services, and showcasing the retailer's home interior products through a display of room sets. Leveraging the business' strength as an omnichannel retailer, customers can choose from an edited selection of 16,000 products across furniture, furnishing accessories, homeware, technology and nursery departments in-store, and use iPad terminals to shop the retailer's full assortment online.

The 26,000 sq ft Waitrose store will be only the fifth branch in the country to include a wine bar where customers can enjoy tapas and wines from its award-winning collection. Offering over 20,000 lines, Waitrose Basingstoke will also include a rotisserie and cafe and it is only the eighth store in the UK to include a juice bar.

A ribbon was cut by the first Partner to be employed by each branch: Olivia Jermy, stock management Partner at John Lewis at home, and Gina Benson, supermarket assistant at Waitrose. The Partners were joined by branch managers Ali Gilbert (John Lewis) and Jamie Rodgers (Waitrose),  as well as representatives from local organisations that both shops are supporting as part of its charitable Community Matters scheme: Ark Cancer, Charity Spotlight UK and Basingstoke NeighbourCare. The first customer purchased an Orla Kiely Sugar Bowl from John lewis at home at 9:05am.

Ali Gilbert, branch manager of John Lewis at home Basingstoke, said: 'Today marks a very exciting time for us and it was a truly magical moment welcoming our first customers through the doors. Partners from both John Lewis and Waitrose have worked incredibly hard to get us to this stage and and I'm very proud of everyone that has been involved. In our Basingstoke development, we have created a fantastic place for people to work and shop, and I look forward to meeting many more customers from the local area in the coming months.'

Jamie Rodgers, branch manager of Waitrose Basingstoke, added: 'I am honoured to be part of a Partnership that has placed so much investment in Basingstoke and the surrounding area. The new shop co-located with John Lewis at home will enable us to deliver the customer experience John Lewis Partnership is renowned for and will encourage even more people to visit Basingstoke. I am looking forward to playing a key role alongside our fellow traders at Basing View and in the town centre to help Basingstoke thrive.'

John Lewis at home and Waitrose Basingstoke brings John Lewis and Waitrose together in a unique way –  the two shops will share office space, a dining room and locker rooms. This joint venture allows customers to shop at both John Lewis at home and Waitrose in one trip, and 'at home' customers will have the benefit of Waitrose's catering facilities.

John Lewis at home will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am – 8pm and from 11am - 5pm on Sunday (10.30am as browsing time).

Waitrose will be open on Monday to Saturday from 7.30am - 9pm and on Sunday from 11am - 5pm (10.30am as browsing time). The café will be open Monday to Saturday 7.30am until 8pm and Sunday 10.30am – 4.30pm.

The shops are located at Basing View, Basingstoke.

The John Lewis Partnership - The John Lewis Partnership operates 46 John Lewis shops across the UK (32 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2), johnlewis.com, 344 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 88,700 staff are Partners in the business.

John Lewis - 'Best Clothing Retailer 2015' , 'Best Electricals Retailer 2015' and 'Best Homewares Retailer 2015'¹, typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com stocks over 280,000 products, and is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. 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 Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2015

You can follow John Lewis on the following social media channels:
www.johnlewis.com/twitter
www.johnlewis.com/facebook
www.johnlewis.com/youtube.

Waitrose - the Nation's Favourite Supermarket¹ and winner of the Best Supermarket² and Best Food and Grocery Retailer³ awards - currently has 344 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 28 shops at Welcome Break locations. It combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service.  Waitrose also exports its products to 50 countries worldwide and has seven shops in the Middle East. (www.waitrose.com)

¹ Verdict Best Food and Grocery Retailer 2015
² Good Housekeeping Best Supermarket 2014, Which? Best Supermarket 2014
³ Verdict Best Food and Grocery Retailer 2014

Enquiries

For further information or images please contact:
Becca Williams, Antidote Communications
Telephone: 0203 740 4009
Email: ohnlewis@antidotecommunications.com