High Wycombe's John Lewis department store will be one of the first to reopen next month, it has been revealed.

Amid fears that many of its shops would not reopen after coronavirus, John Lewis has finally confirmed that its High Wycombe store will open its doors to customers again on June 18.

If new social distancing measures work at the Holmers Farm Way store and the other 12 that are reopening next month, more shops will reopen later in the summer.

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These are the branches opening on Monday, June 15:

Kingston

Poole

These are the branches opening on Thursday, June 18:

Bluewater

Cambridge

Cheadle

Cheltenham

High Wycombe

Horsham

Ipswich

Norwich

Nottingham

Solihull

Welwyn

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As expected, there will be a raft of measures introduced to make sure employees and shoppers stay safe.

These are:

• The introduction of a “Customer Service Host” assigned to welcome customers into the store and answer any questions while managing customer numbers, queues both at entrances and busy areas of the shop and explain to customers what changes they might see in store.

• Reducing the number of shop entrances

• Caps on the number of customers entering stores

• Prominent social distancing signage

• Protective screens at checkouts and areas of the shop where 2 metre social distancing cannot be achieved between customers and staff

• Control procedures for escalators and lifts limiting the number of users

• "Rigorous and frequent" cleaning

• Hand sanitiser for customers to use at all entrances

• Social distancing in back of house areas

• New contactless payment limit of £45

• Limiting the number of additional customer services - for example close-contact beauty services will not be offered and customer catering outlets and fitting rooms will remain closed until further notice

• Safe returns process - in line with government guidance staff are going to separate returned stock from new or old stock for 72 hours

Depending on customer feedback and how the first phase of openings progress, other initiatives which may be considered include virtual queueing, returns drop boxes and enabling Click & Collect from branch car parks.

Sharon White, Partner and Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: "Our shops reopening is a sign of hope as we begin to find our new normal. There’s an opportunity, now, for us, to come back stronger as a business, and offer the safety and reassurance that customers will want.

“However, while we have experience of social distancing in our Waitrose shops, we will need to establish new ways of working in our department stores.

"We are taking this cautious approach to be able to learn as we go and to make sure that our shops are as safe as they can possibly be for our customers and Partners.”

Each department store will have to undergo a four-week reopening preparation programme including a deep clean.