John Lewis in Norwich is not one of the stores shutting in the latest round of closures.
The retail giant confirmed today that eight sites will shut: Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester, Tunbridge Wells, Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York.
The move puts 1,465 jobs at risk.
The news has secured Norwich's reputation as a quality retail high street, experts said.
Having lost BHS, and more recently Debenhams with the future of House of Fraser far from certain, losing another landmark would have been a "blow".
Professor Joshua Bamfield of the Centre for Retail Research based in the city's Rose Lane said: "It would have been a blow to the city and other businesses on the high street. John Lewis is a magnet and because of its location it takes people through the city and passing other businesses on their way.
"We have recently lost Debenhams and the future of House of Fraser is far from certain. I think with John Lewis and Jarrold as our two certain department stores the city has a high quality offering which isn't really rivalled anywhere else in the county.
"I don't think it's as gloomy to have Debenhams empty as we might think. For some businesses with debts this will be awful - but empty units also present opportunity for companies looking to scale up."
He was echoed by Adrian Fennell, partner at Norwich-based Roche Chartered Surveyors, who said he was fairly certain the store would be safe.
"Of course it was a concern but Norwich is the perfect location for a store like John Lewis. It has a captive market who are all very much John Lewis shoppers.
"It also has the added benefits of Westlegate being pedestrianised which gives it an added layer of accessibility, and it also has a car park which not only adds a level of profitability but also offers benefits to businesses in the surrounding area.
"There are still a lot of people in Norwich who call that building Bonds - it has a very proud history of quality retail and it's exactly that sort of reputation that the city needs."
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