John Lewis revamp to form part of £1.4bn Brent Cross expansion

Retailer signs new lease as north London shopping centre plans to double in size

John Lewis will rejuvenate its 40-year-old department store in London's Brent Cross as part of a 1.4bn redevelopment of the shopping centre. Brent Cross, which opened in north London in 1976, will double in size to include 150 new shops, 50 new restaurants and other leisure businesses including a luxury cinema.

John Lewis has signed a new lease as part of the development, which comes despite difficulties on the high street leading to the closure of hundreds of stores as shoppers shift to buying online. A net 1,700 chain stores closed their doors in the top 500 towns and shopping centres last year, according the Local Data Company - the worst figures since 2010.