John Lewis will rejuvenate its 40-year-old department store in London’s Brent Cross as part of a £1.4bn redevelopment of the shopping centre. Brent Cross, which opened in north London in 1976, will double in size to include 150 new shops, 50 new restaurants and other leisure businesses including a luxury cinema.

John Lewis has signed a new lease as part of the development, which comes despite difficulties on the high street leading to the closure of hundreds of stores as shoppers shift to buying online. A net 1,700 chain stores closed their doors in the top 500 towns and shopping centres last year, according the Local Data Company – the worst figures since 2010.

The pain has continued this year, with New Look, Mothercare, Carpetright and House of Fraser planning to implement, or already implementing, mass closures.

As shoppers trim the time they spend in physical shops, the big destination malls, such as Brent Cross, Westfield in west and east London and the Trafford Centre in Manchester are bucking the trend because of the breadth of choice they offer in one location.

Westfield in White City is opening a massive extension that includes 90 new shops, restaurants and leisure outlets, including a John Lewis, a bowling hall, fitness centre, cinema and bars.

Brent Cross is expanding because it is struggling to cope with the level of demand in its stores. It also needs to introduce more leisure activities to appeal to younger people who want fun experiences – from crazy golf to pop-up markets and street food stalls – alongside shops.

Tim Harrison, director of store design and development at John Lewis, said: “We’re delighted to have signed a new lease with Hammerson and Aberdeen Standard Investments and are excited to be embarking on a full refurbishment of our Brent Cross shop. Our plans will allow us to showcase our latest thinking in shop design, creating a more modern space for shoppers with customer experience at its heart.”