John Lewis to anchor Westfield phase 2

John Lewis have signed for a 230,000 sq ft store in Westfield’s planned northern extension.

John Lewis will be the anchor for the major expansion of the shopping centre, opening a four-storey department store that will be its first in West London.

The store will employ around 600 people. It will include an outdoor dining terrace with views over the former BBC Television Centre, and the listed Dimco buildings.

Nicholas Botterill, leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, welcomed the announcement, saying: “The arrival of John Lewis at Westfield is further proof that White City is becoming unmatched as a centre for shopping and leisure, and the creation of 600 jobs is fantastic news for local people.”

John Lewis will form the centrepiece of an expanded Westfield London, which will include 600,000 sq ft of new retail space alongside more than 1,500 homes, with the creation of around 6,700 permanent jobs.

The store is expected to open in 2017, bringing a further boost to footfall at the shopping centre, which already attracts 27 million shoppers annually.

Michael Gutman, Westfield’s European managing director, said: “John Lewis is the most requested store at Westfield London and we are delighted that we will soon be able to deliver on this for our customers.

“The new store will be another huge attraction to Westfield London and will become an important centrepiece of the massive regeneration taking place in the White City Opportunity Area, with the creation of thousands of new homes and jobs.”

Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said: “Our business in London has strengthened significantly over recent years. It is therefore right that we now move to open in Westfield London and bring our offer to customers in the west of the city.”