John Lewis has ambitions to transform its landmark Peter Jones store in Chelsea, London, into a shop that stands out on the global retail stage, Retail Week can reveal.

Peter Jones store exterior, London

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John Lewis boss Peter Ruis wants ‘to surprise people’ with what a department store can look like

John Lewis chief executive Peter Ruis sees the opportunity to raise the bar in new ways at the branch, which overlooks Sloane Square and is as famous for its architectural design as for shopping.

Ideas include changing the assortment to reflect the well-heeled local customer base and making better use of features such as the roof terrace – but the project is at a very early stage.

Ruis told Retail Week: “What I can say is we have plans to radically overhaul Peter Jones to make it not just a flagship for Britain, but a flagship for the world in terms of a beautiful, one-of-a-kind department store.

“We’re working on how best to do that but we see the opportunity in that catchment to really move the bar and change how we’re perceived, and move some of our fashion assortment towards a more premium positioning – which I think that catchment would allow us – and to surprise people around what a John Lewis, in this case, Peter Jones, department store could look like.

“That’s ongoing. I’ve got no timing on that but it’s a strong ambition. We’re just looking at the best way of doing that. It’s an incredible building and it has elements that are unused. It’s an opportunity for us to really raise the bar.”

The modernist Grade II* listed building was designed by architect William Crabtree in the 1930s for John Lewis founder John Spedan Lewis.

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