John Lewis dragged into High Court over click-and-collect rent at Brent Cross

"Hammerson and Standard Life allege that the employee-owned retailer has been underpaying its rent for more than a decade by failing to count click-and-collect transactions as part of its in-store takings."

"The claim hinges on the wording of a lease drafted in 1972, four years before Brent Cross even opened its doors and decades before the world wide web entered commercial use."

"At the heart of the case is the meaning of 'gross receipts'. Hammerson and Standard Life argue the term should capture online orders collected at the Brent Cross store."

Hammerson and Standard Life claim that John Lewis has underpaid rent for over a decade by not including click-and-collect sales in its reported takings. The dispute centers on a 1972 lease agreement, which requires John Lewis to pay a base rent plus a percentage of sales. The case questions the interpretation of 'gross receipts' in the context of modern retail practices, as the original lease was drafted long before the rise of e-commerce. This situation reflects the challenges of legacy leases in today's retail environment.

Read at Business Matters