John Lewis is launching a 'Made in UK' logo to highlight British-made products instore.
The symbol will appear on more than 4,000 products that are manufactured in the UK, and shows the retailer's support of British manufacturing, which sees it work with more than 130 UK companies which make its own-brand products.

The 'Made in UK' logo follows on from the department store's 'Green' emblem, launched earlier this year and designed to help customers make more sustainable choices. The 'Green' symbol appears on POS information for products carrying certification from FSC, Fairtrade, Energy Savings Trust and the Rainforest Alliance.

John Lewis head of brand development Christine Kasoulis said: "We know that our customers want to make informed decisions about what they buy, and we know that they are interested in the provenance and sustainability of products. John Lewis is a British retailer, and our customers expect it to support other British firms wherever possible."

She added: "These identifiers are designed to add to the advice and service we already offer customers, and ultimately make life easier. They are part of our longer-term aspirations to help customers make choices about what they buy, whether they want to know more about the provenance of products, or if they are looking to lessen their environmental impact."

John Lewis has also announced plans to open a £15m department store in York in autumn 2013, creating around 300 new jobs in the area.

The 100,000sq ft store is an example of the new 'flexible format' concept being rolled out by the chain, with shops set to average 65,000 to 100,000sq ft, in comparison to the average 132,000sq ft taken up by a major John Lewis department store.

The new outlet in the Monks Cross development will offer fashion, home and consumer electrics and will be designed to maximise the opportunity for multichannel shopping.

John Lewis is on track to open five shops in 2012, including at home stores in Newbury and Chichester, plus the first flexible format department store in Exeter.