john lewis

On Saturday 15 May, the remaining stores of the bankrupt British department store chain Debenhams will close their doors for good. This marks the end of 242 years of retail history. However, the brand will not disappear altogether.

Nestlé takes a majority stake in Mindful Chef, a British supplier of healthy meal boxes and frozen meals. Waitrose also had an appetite for the meal supplier.

John Lewis has been given the green light to convert no less than 45% of its flagship store on London's famous Oxford Street into office space. The conversion should help to make the department store chain profitable again.

In order to be successful again, department stores need to return to their origins: large flagship stores that amaze the shopper with an unrivaled assortment, flawless service and a unique experience. "The average doesn’t work for department stores."