RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
thumb
Written by Jorg Snoeck
In this article
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

British department store John Lewis expands web shop to Belgium

icon
General23 June, 2011

British up-market department store chain John Lewis has expanded its internet shop to serving Belgium today. This is just a first step in this country, as the chain has quite some more plans if the introduction proves successful.

 

Expansion to Belgium now, the rest of the EU next autumn

The British, Irish, French, Danish and Swedes are already familiar with John Lewis, and now the Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain can enjoy the chain’s services – with the US, Canada, Australia, New-Zealand, Norway and most of the remaining EU countries joining the club next autumn.

 

No other currencies or languages accepted – for now

This is just a first step for the British retailer, who plans to expand its empire to the rest of the world step by step. While the current web shop is monolithic and monolingual, the plan includes localisation so that each country will have the web site available in its own language(s). Once that step is complete, the chain hopes to open physical stores in continental Europe too.

 

For the time being however, the website will be uniquely British – it will even not accept payment in euros. “The acceptance of the European currency will be included in the localisation process that also includes the introduction of other languages to our web shop”, said online manager Emma McLaughlin to the Financiële Telegraaf.

 

From Oxford Street to the rest of the world

John Lewis’s first store opened in Oxford Street, London in 1864 and since then, the chain has expanded to 37 British stores and one web shop. After Britain, John Lewis now wants to conquer Europe and the rest of the world. The first step is creating a web presence in these countries: “To make a more significant investment, we need to be confident that the demand is worth it”, commercial director Andrea O’Donnell told the Financial Times in February, when the plan still was to expand to the rest of the EU in one go.

Johnlewis.com realised a £567 million (€635 million) turnover in 2010, 38% more than the year before. This year, the group hopes to cross the £700 million threshold (€784 million) and aims at a foreign share of 1 to 5%.

More about... General
See more
  • Cillit Bang products in a supermarket
    icon
    General18 July, 2025
    Reckitt spins off cleaning products division for 4.5 billion euros

    British multinational Reckitt has agreed a deal to sell its cleaning products division Essential Home to investment firm Advent International. Reckitt will retain a 30 % stake in the spun-off unit, which is valued at 4.8 billion dollars (4.5 billion euros).

  • icon
    General17 July, 2025
    Belgian retailers may stay open an hour longer

    The Belgian government is relaxing the law on opening hours, to give retailers more freedom. The mandatory weekly closing day will disappear and shops will be allowed to stay open until 21h every day.

  • icon
    General16 July, 2025
    Blokker sees majority of franchisees drop out

    Only 12 of the initially 48 franchisees make the restart with Dutch household chain Blokker. Meanwhile, the retailer continues to open shops: the 50-store mark is in sight.

Events
  • 17
    Sep
    CAPTAINS OF RETAIL 2025 – EDITION II
  • 25
    Sep
    RETAIL MARKETING DAY 2025
Most read
  • icon
    General20 June, 2025
    Fashion and hospitality boost El Corte Inglés’ profits
  • icon
    Food27 June, 2025
    Kaufland reorganizes its marketing department following Lidl’s example
  • icon
    General10 July, 2025
    “New” Pepco reports record revenue after Poundland sale
  • icon
    Electronics19 June, 2025
    “More than half of all consumer electronics will be sold online by 2026”
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform The Loop, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
Mailing Address
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 2000 Antwerp
Visiting address
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2025 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
Contact us About us info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT