WHEN John Lewis announced it was to open the first of its new format home stores in Poole, it was as if the last piece of the retail jigsaw had fallen into place.

Yes we’ve got a few Waitroses, the chain’s supermarket arm. But if you wanted one of the company’s rose ruffle cushions, or its new ‘bath linen’ as John Lewis likes to call its towels, you have always had to schlep up to West Quay at Southampton or go online.

The chain’s New Formats manager Karen Matthew says the decision to go ahead with the Poole store, at the former Courts building at Redlands Road, was based on “an enormous amount of research”.

And this research shows that many folk feel disgruntled because they can’t find a John Lewis store within 40 minutes of their home.

The Poole outlet will deal in upmarket housewares and electrical goods, as well as having an espresso bar.

Which actually doesn’t make it that different to what’s already on offer in our town centres.

After all, Beales is a family firm, purveying top-quality goods and clothing to the discerning customer.

Dingles is an established, welcome face on the local retail scene, as is Debenhams. So what’s so different about John Lewis?

For starters, John Lewis is run differently. Everyone who works for it, from the CEO to the assistant in gentlemen’s underwear, is a partner in the firm. That means they get to join in with decision-making and share in the profits of their hard work.

In 2007 that share was 18 per cent – equivalent to nine weeks’ pay.

And how many firms have holiday hotels where staff can go for what the partnership’s founder, Spedan Lewis, defined as “a proper relaxation”.

It’s these holiday venues that link John Lewis very firmly to this area, because they are the company that presciently snapped up the lease to the elegant castle on our very own Brownsea Island.

From March to October, John Lewis partners can be found wandering the island, enjoying the red squirrels and the restful views as they re-charge their batteries.

And then there are the health benefits, the subsidised canteen, and the subsidised theatre tickets..

Like most department stores, John Lewis has a noble history, starting as a family draper’s on Oxford Street in 1864, when a Mr John Lewis took 16s and 4d on his first day’s trading.

But it was in 1914, when John Snr handed over to his son, John Spedan Lewis, that the partnership really got going, with staff councils set up and the notion of a sharing venture was launched, and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Why has it been so successful? Partly the enthusiasm of its staff and its delightfully Edwardian pledge that it is “Never Knowingly Undersold”.

In January it was crowned Britain’s Favourite Retailer for customer satisfaction.

The partnership has come either top or second every year since the award was created.

But it’s also successful because its goods are... well, very, very good.

It’s not unheard of for a John Lewis bath towel to last 37 years before developing a bald patch.

It supplies goods and foods to the royal household via its Sloane Square and Reading branches.

From Fairtrade flowers to Farhi frocks you can get everything for the perfect life at one of its larger stores.

And soon you’ll be able to get it at Poole!