John Lewis to open Leeds hub

John Lewis has agreed a pre-let for a 50,500 sq ft distribution warehouse, including 4,000 sq ft of offices at Muse Developments’ 110-acre Logic Leeds scheme in West Yorkshire.

The retailer is has signed a 20-year-lease for the facility which will service orders from both the John Lewis store in York and the soon to be completed flagship store in Leeds – the retailer’s biggest full line department stores outside of London totalling 252,000 sq ft

Recognising shopping habits are changing and with omni-channel giving shoppers more choices than ever before, the retailer

is strengthening its distribution network to ensure it continues to deliver a coordinated and convenient shopping experience to its customers.

Mark Robinson, director customer delivery operations at John Lewis, said: “I’m delighted that we will be opening a new customer delivery hub in the Leeds area. This will allow us to successfully support our customers in the Leeds catchment and surrounding areas with the wide range of delivery, installation and assembly services we have on offer for our customers.”

David Wells, development director at Muse, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured a tenant with such a reputation for quality as John Lewis. This is one of the most significant industrial property deals in Yorkshire this year and a ringing endorsement of our Logic Leeds development. We are already well-advanced on site with the construction of an 80,000 sq ft industrial building which is the largest of its kind to be speculatively developed in West Yorkshire since the recession. Together these two buildings will put Logic Leeds on the map.”

Logic Leeds has been supported by a landmark £2.5m grant agreement with Leeds City Council, funded through the government’s Building Foundations for Growth programme.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council with responsibility for economic development said: “We are delighted John Lewis has chosen the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone to locate its distribution centre, ahead of the opening of their new store as part of the Victoria Gate development next year. Logic Leeds is a key site within the Enterprise Zone which offers unparalleled advantages in terms of scale, transport infrastructure and its proximity to Leeds city centre. I am sure John Lewis will find it an ideal location for their long term future in the region.”

Work will start on site shortly, with completion scheduled for spring next year.

Knight Frank and Carter Towler acted for Muse and Cushman & Wakefield advised John Lewis.