John Lewis said it will shut two full-size department stores in Birmingham and Watford, four At Home shops in Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth, as well as two travel hub outlets at Heathrow and St Pancras.
It said the eight shops were already “financially challenged” before the pandemic, which has ramped up the shift towards online shopping.
The group estimated that between 60% and 70% of John Lewis sales are set to be made online this year and next, compared with 40% before the coronavirus crisis.
Sharon White, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Closing a shop is always incredibly difficult and today’s announcement will come as very sad news to customers and partners.
“However, we believe closures are necessary to help us secure the sustainability of the partnership – and continue to meet the needs of our customers however and wherever they want to shop.
“Redundancies are always an absolute last resort and we will do everything we can to keep as many partners as possible within our business.”
