John Lewis

John Lewis began in 1864 when John Lewis opened a small drapery shop on Oxford Street. His son John Spedan Lewis later created the employee partnership model and launched the Gazette magazine in 1918. The flagship Oxford Street store grew from a single shop into the largest branch in the group. Peter Jones in Sloane Square was acquired in 1905 and remains one of the most famous stores. Other early stores included Jessop & Son in Nottingham, bought in 1933, and Cole Brothers in Sheffield, part of a group of provincial stores purchased in 1940. The partnership introduced central buying in 1937 with the Jonell brand for own-label goods. Waitrose, a grocery chain of ten shops in 1937, became the supermarket arm. The Reading store Heelas joined in 1953 and kept its name until 2001. The Oxford Street store received a Royal Warrant in 2008 for haberdashery and household goods. The Christmas television advert, started in 2007, has become a British tradition marking the festive season. Inside the Oxford Street store visitors find a Place To Eat restaurant and a brasserie added during refurbishment. A Waitrose Food Hall opened in the basement in 2007, offering groceries within the department store. The building’s 2007 renovation cost £60 million and introduced modern shopping facilities. Peter Jones in Sloane Square underwent a £107 million renovation completed in 2004. The store’s layout now blends fashion, homeware and dining in one large space.