Merry Hill in line for John Lewis coup

Upmarket department store John Lewis is looking to open a major new branch at the Merry Hill centre, the Express & Star can reveal today.

Bosses from the firm are currently locked in serious negotiations to take up a patch of land on the Embankment, opposite the Copthorne Hotel.

The news will be a further boost for shoppers in the region, with a new Next Home store opening for the first time at the Merry Hill on Saturday.

If the talks on the new John Lewis reach a successful conclusion as expected, the move would represent a massive coup for Dudley and bring scores of jobs to the borough.

Brierley Hill office worker Nicci Taylor, aged 30, said: "A prestigious name like John Lewis will be great for the Merry Hill centre and will attract so many new shoppers. Not only is it a boost for the centre's image, I would imagine it will also bring a lot of jobs."

Business leaders in Birmingham have been attempting to secure a John Lewis in the city centre for years, which the firm has resisted due to its presence in nearby Solihull.

But with no branch of the store in the Black Country or its surrounding areas, bosses at Merry Hill centre owner Westfield are confident an agreement will be reached.

A source close to the deal said the department store was very choosy as to where it located its branches.

"John Lewis is known for driving a very hard bargain," he said. "But the firm has a shopping list for where it wants to go next."

A spokeswoman for Westfield said: "For commercial reasons, we are unable to comment on the matter."

Rachel Faulkner, from John Lewis, said: "We are always on the look out for new catchments that are good for us."

The new Next Home store, selling furniture and homeware, will take up the 9,500 square feet unit that was formerly a Next clearance store on the Odeon retail park.

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