National newspaper praises John Lewis joint effort

A national newspaper has praised the joint effort that went into securing the new John Lewis store for Exeter.

Observer journalist Zoe Wood wrote:

Despite the rearguard action being fought by government high street tsar Mary Portas, town centres around the country are being pushed to breaking point as retail chains are felled by the recession. One in seven high-street shops lies empty, with the recent failure of JJB Sports, which resulted in more than 130 closures, making a grim picture worse.

Against that backdrop, the strength of Exeter's retail centre – albeit with more chain stores than the national average – is a good example of what can be achieved when councils and developers work together. Local news reports hailed the arrival of John Lewis as one of the most significant events in the city's economic history.

But with UK retail sales growth expected to be minimal this year, Exeter's gain could be at the expense of nearby centres such as Exmouth and Newton Abbot, says Matthew Hopkinson of retail research firm Local Data Company: "It's like a ship listing sending the tin rolling from one side to the other."