The Croydon Partnership, the joint venture between Westfield and Hammerson, today announces [31 May] that a new co-located John Lewis department store and Waitrose supermarket will anchor the new £1.4bn redevelopment of the Croydon retail town centre.
The 165,000 sq ft, four-level John Lewis shop, which will incorporate a Waitrose on the ground floor, represents a significant investment by the John Lewis Partnership in Croydon town centre. The joint development will bring John Lewis and Waitrose together in a new way, delivering the customer experience that the John Lewis Partnership is renowned for to Croydon customers under one roof.
The full-line department store and supermarket will be a showcase for the two brands, creating the most contemporary shopping experience for customers, and providing the very latest concepts and services.
The two stores will be part of the exciting redevelopment which will offer over 300 shops, including a brand new M&S; restaurants, cafés; leisure facilities and a multi-screen cinema complex. In addition, up to 1,000 new homes will be built, reinforcing Croydon’s ambition as one of London’s most desirable neighbourhoods.
John Burton, Head of Development, Westfield Europe, said: “The Croydon Partnership is delighted to deliver two of the UK’s leading brands. This is a major milestone and is a demonstration of the strength of Croydon and the project. John Lewis is the most requested addition to the town centre and its arrival will ensure Croydon’s future as the retail and leisure capital for South London.”
Peter Cole, Chief Investment Officer, Hammerson, said: “The decision by John Lewis and Waitrose to open anchor stores in Croydon town centre highlights the importance of this growing regional catchment and the desire from leading retailers to have a significant presence in the town. Over the coming months we are looking to make further progress with the land assembly process ahead of commencing detailed design and the pre-letting of the scheme.”
Craig Inglis, Customer Director at John Lewis, said: “We are delighted to be opening a new full-line department store in the newly developed centre, offering the services and products for which we are well known. This exciting new shop will showcase our latest thinking in shop design, creating a modern space for shoppers with customer experience at its heart.”
Ben Stimson, Retail Director at Waitrose, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring the Waitrose and John Lewis brands together under one roof as part of a state-of-the-art retail and leisure destination and reinforces our commitment to Croydon’s future.”
Leader of Croydon Council, Cllr Tony Newman, said: “This is great news for Croydon. John Lewis and Waitrose’s commitment to be part of the £1.4bn redevelopment of The Whitgift Shopping Centre demonstrates their confidence in Croydon’s regeneration, its infrastructure and its growth and most importantly, as a place that people want to be. We look forward to work starting on Croydon’s new world-class retail and leisure development next year and the wealth of offerings this will bring to local people, and to welcoming John Lewis to our town centre.”
The redevelopment of Croydon’s retail centre is part of the £5.25bn plans, which are already underway to transform the town. The investment in Croydon’s major regeneration plans will see new retail, dining, leisure, offices and homes making it the best place in South London to live, work, play and shop.
Today’s announcement follows recent progress on this major town centre project with Croydon Council and the Mayor of London’s planning approval at the end of last year. The retail redevelopment will create 7,000 new jobs to the area and will be in the top 10 shopping destinations in the UK.
The earliest date for construction to commence will be during 2019. The construction timeline coincides with Croydon Council’s series of infrastructure projects that will enable Croydon’s growth zone to deliver the £5.25bn regeneration programme.
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