A MAJOR department store chain with a York shop is set to announce more closures.

The John Lewis Partnership has warned over further store closures as it swung to a £517 million annual loss after the pandemic battered its department stores.

The group, which also owns upmarket grocery chain Waitrose, said it does not expect all its John Lewis shops to reopen at the end of lockdown.

The department store giant, which has a store at Monks Cross in York, is understood to be considering the closure of eight shops in a bid to cut its significant property costs. It's not known yet which stores will not reopen after lockdown.

The plan comes only eight months after the retailer announced the closure of eight stores following the initial impact of the pandemic.

John Lewis, which currently operates 42 stores, is in the middle of a strategic shake-up aimed to increase the proportion of its sales made through its online channels.

Chairman Sharon White said: “There is no getting away from the fact that some areas can no longer profitably sustain a John Lewis store.

“Regrettably, we do not expect to reopen all our John Lewis shops at the end of lockdown, which will also have implications for our supply chain.

“We are currently in discussions with landlords and final decisions are expected by the end of March.

“We will do everything we can to lessen the impact and will continue to provide community funds to support local areas.”

Partners will be updated on the company’s recent trading and its latest growth strategy in an announcement today (Thursday, March 11).

John Lewis has been among retailers to report a surge in online sales but has continued to face a burden from its portfolio of large bricks and mortar stores.

The John Lewis Partnership, which also includes the Waitrose supermarket business, revealed plans last year to streamline its headquarters with about 1,500 job cuts.

The move is intended to help the business save around £50 million as part of wider plans to reduce its total costs by £300 million.