John Lewis to open its doors again in June as government gives retailers the green light

John Lewis is set to reopen the group's department stores in June after the Government gave non-essential shops the green light.

The company did not confirm when all the John Lewis stores would reopen, but said its preparations have been “informed” by social distancing measures at its Waitrose supermarkets - which have traded throughout the pandemic.

The middle class favourite will reduce the number of entrances to stores and put caps on the number of people able to shop at one time as part of new safety measures.

The John Lewis Partnership said: “We have been preparing to reopen our John Lewis stores, informed by what we have learnt from the social distancing measures the partnership has taken in Waitrose.

“Our plan sees us open our shops on a phased basis, to enable us to test the changes we are introducing and ensure the best and safest customer and partner experience.

“The safety of our customers and partners will govern everything we do and we are prepared to readjust our plan and make changes as we go to make sure we get it absolutely right and continue adhering to evolving Government guidelines.”

John Lewis has struggled since the lockdown and sales have taken a tumble. The high street retailer warned that a worst-case scenario would see the chain’s annual sales plunge 35 per cent.

The group has been undergoing a radical shake-up under new chairman Sharon White. Recent reports have suggested that the retailer could team up with another business to beef up its services arm and become less reliant on retail, although that would mark a radical break from tradition.

The business is already in partnership with Clipper Logistics. Each company owns 50% of a business set up in 2016 to grow the department chains click and collect service.