Retailer to invest more than £20m in flagship store, ten years after its opening.
The company's revamp of the Bluewater department store will include 'substantial refurbishment' and a John Lewis Foodhall from Waitrose, which will open in the shop's basement in summer next year.

This will signal the second John Lewis foodhall, after parent company the John Lewis Partnership launched the concept at its store in Oxford Street, London at the tail-end of last year.

Andy Street, managing director John Lewis said: "Following the success of Oxford Street Foodhall since its opening in October 2007, we have been eager to open another Foodhall at a branch outside London."

He added: "We believe a Foodhall will greatly enhance the shopping experience for our customers at Bluewater."

John Lewis has been working closely on these proposals with Lend Lease, who lead the Ownership Consortium for Bluewater.

Andrew Parkinson, general manager of Bluewater, said: 'We are delighted that John Lewis has decided to update and enlarge its offer, and has chosen Bluewater for its first Foodhall outside of London.

The announcement follows the publication of Experian's Retail Ranking 2008, which places Bluewater at number nine in the UK.