John Lewis is set to pour £50m into five of its department stores this year, with its Glasgow branch earmarked for a major £20m redevelopment as the retailer doubles down on experience-led bricks-and-mortar retail. The investment will see Glasgow, Cambridge, Leicester, Reading and Liverpool share in the latest phase of funding, which forms part of an £800m brand transformation programme covering all 36 John Lewis stores.
In Glasgow, the Buchanan Galleries site will undergo the largest single-store investment John Lewis has made in recent years, with every floor of the 28,000sq m store due for an upgrade across fashion, beauty, home and technology. The shop will trade throughout the works, with the phased refurbishment expected to run until spring 2027.
John Lewis said the programme is designed to sharpen customer experience as shoppers increasingly move fluidly between online and physical channels, while still valuing in‑person services such as tailored advice, personal styling and the ability to try products before buying. The partnership hosted a record number of service appointments last year across areas including personal styling and nursery advice, underlining what it describes as sustained demand for store‑based expertise.
The retailer also highlighted the growing importance of hospitality in its department stores, with food and drink now accounting for more than one in five in‑store transactions. Alongside the latest refurbishments, John Lewis is rolling out its new Platter John Lewis hospitality concept, which is due to reach 32 cafés and restaurants by the end of 2027.
John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis framed the fresh wave of capex as a long‑term commitment to the high street. “Whether customers shop with us online, in our shops or across both, they expect the same trusted advice, service and experience,” he said, adding that the upgrades are “about more than just a fresh look” and are intended to create places “where customers love to spend their time”.
Early results from refurbished branches have been encouraging, with the business reporting sales uplifts and higher customer satisfaction following recent investment rounds. That performance has given the partnership confidence to keep backing its physical estate despite ongoing pressures on UK retail footfall and consumer spending.
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In Glasgow, landlord Landsec hailed the planned overhaul as a “powerful vote of confidence” in the city and in Buchanan Galleries’ future as a regional shopping destination. Centre director Kathy Murdoch said the works complement Landsec’s own plans to enhance the mall’s retail and leisure mix and “create new experiences” for visitors, with the centre set to remain open and trading throughout the redevelopment.
Scottish ministers also welcomed the announcement, with Small Business and Economic Transformation minister Blair McDougall calling it “a strong vote of confidence in our high streets and the future of the UK retail sector”. Business and fair work minister Tom Arthur said the revamp would bolster Glasgow city centre’s status as a leading shopping destination and help drive further footfall and investment into the local economy.
Taken together, the £50m package and the longer‑term £800m programme underline John Lewis’s bet that well‑invested department stores, with a blend of retail, services and hospitality, still have a central role to play in the evolving UK shopping landscape. For Glasgow, the scale of the spend signals not just a refreshed store, but a strategic anchor for the next phase of Buchanan Street’s retail revival.
