About 190 new jobs will be created when a new Kent store opens in the autumn.

John Lewis announced today (Tuesday, May 18) that it plans to open a 'John Lewis at home' shop in Tunbridge Wells.

The retailer will invest £9 million in the new outlet, which will focus exclusively on furniture, furnishing accessories, electrical and home technology.

John Lewis’s decision to move into Tunbridge Wells follows the successful opening of 'John Lewis at home' in Poole, Dorset, last October. Other John Lewis at home shops are also scheduled to open in Croydon and Swindon later this year.

Andy Street, John Lewis managing director, said: "We’ve learnt a lot from our Poole opening and our research has shown that the new ‘at home’ shop has helped our business expand its customer base. We have also shown our ability to deliver a high level of customer service in a smaller shop, which is the ultimate test."

Computer terminals in the 50,000 sq ft store, in Longfield Road, will allow shoppers to browse a wider John Lewis assortment including fashion, beauty, nursery, carpets and order for home delivery or next day collection at the shop. The shop will also feature a café.

Meanwhile, the Bluewater shopping centre today announced a 1.8 per cent increase in sales during April compared with the same period last year. This contrasts favourably to the BRC-KMPG sales results for the UK as a whole, which were minus 2.3 per cent compared with April, l 2009.

Bluewater has also outperformed the UK as a whole for the three months from February to April, with sales up by 5.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2009. In addition, footfall for the year-to-date is also up by two per cent compared to last year.

Andrew Parkinson, Bluewater’s general manager, added: "Our sales results in April highlight the importance of creating the right offer for guests, which is achieved by delivering the optimum mix of retail, catering, leisure facilities and services, together with a unique day-out experience.

• All Saints is to open an 8,060 sq ft flagship store on the lower Thames Walk at Bluewater, early in the summer. The new store comprises All Saints’ existing store and an adjacent unit,. It will stock the brand’s full range of products, including men, women and children’s wear, homewares, gifts and All Saints’ 'vintage' range.