John Lewis has confirmed it will not reopen eight stores once restrictions lift on essential retail on 12 April, as the department store chain adjusts to the biggest change to the high street “for a generation”.

The retailer says it has chosen the eight stores for closure as they exist in locations that cannot sustain a large store and don’t “have enough customers” and that were already challenged prior to the pandemic.

The closures, which will see 1,465 jobs at risk, include four department stores in Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York, as well as four ‘At Home’ shops in Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester and Tunbridge Wells.

The “rebalancing” of the John Lewis store estate means that now just 34 stores will reopen once restrictions lift next month.

“Today’s announcement is incredibly sad news for our affected partners, for our customers and for the communities we’ve served over many years,” says chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Dame Sharon White.

“The high street is going through its biggest change for a generation and we are changing with it. Customers will still be able to get the trusted service that we are known for – however and wherever they want to shop.”

Speaking at its full-year results earlier this month, the retailer explained it wanted to reshape its business after notching up a £517m pre-tax loss in 2020. John Lewis is hoping to tap into the shift to remote working and the promise of localism with the rollout of smaller, service-orientated local outlets.

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