Their well-known Sloane Square, Chelsea store, Peter Jones, has had an antiques floor since 1915 and John Lewis’s High Wycombe branch opened an antiques department in early June this year.
The High Wycombe antiques enterprise, which offers a lot of 18th century items with a country flavour, has been well received by its often well-off Buckinghamshire customers, and initially business has been good.
The Peter Jones antiques department, which offers high-value pieces, is part of the overall appeal of an upmarket but practical store which has for many decades been a London institution.
But the antiques, along with the rest of the furniture, has been removed some distance from the main store while the Sloane Square building is being refurbished. Work has been going on for more than two years and despite a courtesy bus service to the alternative shopping area, known as PJ2, business in the whole furniture area has suffered.
This was a factor in the decision to open an antiques department in the Oxford Street store (although Peter Jones is expected to be reopened in its entirety next Spring).
Jeremy Bates, who heads the John Lewis antiques operation, feels the new Oxford Street department will aim at the upper middle range in terms of prices, but with a more ritzy, grander feel than the other stores.
“More later 19th century walnut, gilt, ormolu and lots of mirrors,” he said.
He thought the antiques would fit in well with the general home furnishings of John Lewis with a feel of “restrained good taste”. However, he admits the Oxford Street venture is more of an unknown quantity than Peter Jones, although the Oxford Street store does attract more new customers.
Of course, it is not just antiques which have suffered in recent years. Mr Bates disclosed that the high-end reproduction furniture business has suffered even more, with some big names disappearing. Obviously, it might be as well to tempt people with the real thing which can be cheaper than good reproductions.
Meanwhile Fortnum and Mason in St James’s maintain their antiques presence; Harrods in Knightsbridge say their antiques department has experienced the ups and downs of all retailing but will continue, while Liberty’s in Regent Street, famous for their eponymous Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau lines, have run their operation down and no longer hold their annual antiques selling exhibitions.
Antiques – now never knowingly undersold at John Lewis…
AT a time when much talk has been about the contraction of the antiques industry, John Lewis, one of Oxford Street, London’s top department stores, have just opened a dedicated antiques department in the main room on their third floor. The John Lewis Partnership operate 26 department stores across the UK and this is their third antiques operation.
