The future of John Lewis in Milton Keynes could be in doubt as sources say that it is 'highly unlikely' that all 50 of its stores will re-open once the lockdown ends.
Multiple national sources including ITV have reported that senior management at the department store chain are currently looking at which of the stores will re-open after lockdown and which will close permanently.
Of the 50 stores across the UK, 35 are the larger department stores, including the Milton Keynes site, with 15 being under the smaller 'John Lewis at Home' brand.
Other nearby stores to Milton Keynes include High Wycombe, Watford, Peterborough, Cambridge, Leicester and Oxford.
The Chairman of the chain, Dame Sharon White, will update investors tomorrow on the company's performance.
Retail analyst Richard Hyman told ITV: "Does it make sense for John Lewis to close some stores, absolutely yes."
"No one wants to see people losing their jobs which is what would happen, but the reality is for the market at large, online has been getting bigger and bigger, with John Lewis at the vanguard."
Mr Hyman added that almost 50% of John Lewis's business before the lockdown was done online rather than in-store.
In a statement, a John Lewis spokesperson said: "We keep our estate under continuous review in order to ensure we have the right amounts of shops to best serve our customers and remain commercially viable."
"It is too early to make a decision but, as always, any decision that is made is done with securing the long-term financial sustainability of the Partnership and is always communicated to our Partners first."
