John Lewis appoints head of branch for new Birmingham flagship
John Lewis has appointed Lisa Williams as head of branch for its flagship department store that will open in the new Grand Central shopping centre in Birmingham in September 2015.
Currently head of the John Lewis High Wycombe branch, Williams will replace Kim Lowe who was initially appointed as head of branch when the retailer was working to an earlier opening date. Lowe has since taken up a role as head of branch at John Lewis Bluewater, one of the retailer’s largest shops.
Having worked for John Lewis for 25 years, Williams oversaw the retailer’s largest redevelopment investment of 2013 when the High Wycombe shop was the subject of a £16 million refurbishment programme. The upgrade created 200 new jobs within the John Lewis Partnership and led to sales growth of 27% at the shop.
Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said: “Lisa is perfectly placed to ensure John Lewis Birmingham delivers the excellent standards and service that our customers expect. She brings a breadth of experience as a leader and a fantastic track record of managing external relationships to this exciting and demanding role and I wish her every success.”
John Lewis will be the anchor tenant of the Grand Central Birmingham shopping centre when it opens in September 2015. The retailer has invested £35 million in the 250,000 sq ft department store, which will be one of the largest outside London. The store will sit directly above Birmingham New Street station.
Street added: “Our aspiration is for John Lewis Birmingham to become the cornerstone of wider regeneration in the south side of the city centre and to deliver a legacy of real quality and value to the area. We are also very pleased to confirm an opening date, and look forward to presenting our new regional flagship department store to the shopping public of Birmingham.”
Born in Shirley, the new role will see Williams return to her family base in Birmingham. She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking on this new challenge in the UK’s second largest city. I look forward to establishing our regional flagship shop in the centre of Birmingham and in the heart of the local community.”
