John Lewis expands into Philippines

UK department store John Lewis will open 11 concessions in department stores in the Philippines.

The move follows an announcement last month reported by InsideRetail.Asia that it would launch a range of homewares in Robinsons stores in Singapore.

The Philippines stores will open inside SM Retail and Our Home stores, with the concessions ranging from 30 to 93 sqm.

Founded in 1864, John Lewis has never opened its own stores beyond England, Scotland and Wales. But in 2012 it entered into a partnership with South Korea’s Shinsegae Department Store Co, selling linen and homewares in seven stores.

“The success of our partnership with Shinsegae has given us the confidence to continue our expansion in the international market,” said John Lewis MD Andy Street.

Further expansion of the John Lewis brand abroad will for now be restricted to exclusive licensing arrangements, similar to those with Robinsons, SM and Shinsegae.

But the company said it is planning to enter about 15 international markets during the next few years.

“We are actively looking for more international partnerships, and expect to make more announcements about our international plans in the next year.”

“Anybody taking their eye off the domestic ball at the moment would really regret it. We are not opening shops overseas and diverting management time. This is the icing on the cake,” Street said in an interview earlier this year.

“Our fundamental strategy is developing bricks and clicks in the UK. We have just got to put a chip or two down on the table with a view on how the world is going to be in 10 years’ time,” he said.

 

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