Anna Moir, branch manager of John Lewis at Home, at the new store building, nearing completion, on the outskirts of Ipswich
Ipswich: John Lewis hoping good times will be in store for town
By Sarah Chambers
Monday, October 8, 2012
9:21 AM
A RETAILER says it is hoping to benefit the whole Ipswich area when its multi-million pound store is launched on November 8.
Furtura Business Park
The Ipswich site was bought in 1919 by Crane Co of Chicago
Crane had a foundry at Ipswich for 83 years, but production was switched to China.
Crane engineering poured its last metal in June 2008 and stopped production of iron fittings at its Nacton Road foundry.
The former Crane Engineering factory in Nacton Road is being developed to make way for the creation of the Futura Business Park.
About a quarter of the park will be occupied by a huge superstore for John Lewis At Home and Waitrose.
It is the first time that the John Lewis Partnership has brought together its two retail operations – Waitrose and John Lewis at home – in such a way.
The retailer has high hopes the complex, now nearing completion at the old Cranes industrial site on Nacton Road, will be a big draw for shoppers and generate benefits for the town.
“One of the things to bear in mind is what the presence of a John Lewis or a Waitrose does across footfall and expenditure, so obviously we hope to benefit the whole Ipswich area,” said Anna Moir, branch manager of the new John Lewis store.
More than 1,000 tradesmen have been working on the project, with about 170 on site at any time, as contractor Bowmer & Kirkland battles against tight deadlines to deliver the £10million build and fit-out project within 24 weeks.
Flooding in the early stages of the project meant workers having to make up time over weekends.
“I think the only difficulty here is the speed. Twenty-four weeks from start to finish is quite an ambitious target,” said Bowmer & Kirkland director Darren Eaton.
It is a major investment for the retailer, which is leasing the site from landowners Aquigen.
The sales space of the two stores combined is 71,000sq ft, and they will employ a total of 375 staff.
John Lewis Partnership is investing £5m in the Waitrose store and a further £7m in the John Lewis store.
Waitrose development programme manager Simon Clapham said they expected the cafe, shared across the two stores, would be “very, very busy”.
Over eight days, the John Lewis team will bring in £2.8m worth of stock to the store, which will hold 17,000 lines.
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4 comments
@ sgm - so what as long at they are spending their money in Ipswich it's going to be great for the borough. @ Warkys_Tash (great name btw) - They know exactly what they are doing and in all honesty I think department stores are dying breed. Think of all the one's which have gone under in the last few years. There are only a handful left. I think these "at home" stores are a part of JLP diversifying their offer so they are prepared for future changes in market. I went into the JL in Westfield Stratford today and it was empty - granted it was a Monday, but Westfield was reasonably busy. I counted all of 5 people in JL the whole time I was there!
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Scott Brock
Monday, October 8, 2012
JLP have made the right decision sgm in not locatong in the town centre. They understand that people are penalised for driving into town, and the ridiculous road works, high business rates and non resident apathy to visit the run down town centre, so it is a no bainer to loacte outside the centre. They too at least can see the blindingly obvious, and will cash in on this fact, just like Next have done by locating at Martlesham.
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england1770
Monday, October 8, 2012
JLP should have moved into the town centre. Big mistake.
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Warkys_Tash
Monday, October 8, 2012
blimey EADT .. are JLP paying you for all of this coverage .. not a week goes by without a story and pictures of this opening , it seems that we need a constant update !! it is only a furniture store and another supermarket .. would anyone else get this amount of publicity ? if JLP really wanted to support Ipswich , then they would have opted for a department store in town - there are plenty of vacant spaces- but this development is really for the affluent hinterland , who will go to the two stores off the A14 and not venture any further into Ipswich !!!
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sgm
Monday, October 8, 2012