John Lewis news and archive

John Lewis Partnership appoints new chairman

The successor to outgoing chairman Sharon White has finally been named at John Lewis Partnership (JLP), where former chief executive officer for Tesco, Jason Tarry, is to take on the helm position of the board. White announced her intention to step down from the retail group’s board in the latter half of 2023 as she began to enter the final...

ManagementFeatured

John Lewis returns to profit, partner bonuses not in sight

After a tumultuous period of falling sales, John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has finally bounced back into the black. Yet while the news appears to be a turning point for the struggling retail group, it will mark another year of no bonuses for its staff. In the year to January 27, JLP said it made a pre-tax profit of 56 million pounds, a 290 million...

Business

John Lewis’ outgoing chairman predicts return to profit this year

Sharon White, the outgoing chairman of John Lewis Partnership, has said that the retail group is expected to return to profit this year, despite previously stating that its turnaround plan was to take longer than expected. White, who announced her intention to step down from the company in October 2023, told employees in a video message seen by...

Business

John Lewis cuts redundancy payouts, hints at more job cuts

British department store John Lewis has reportedly slashed redundancy payouts in order to support its ongoing turnaround plan, hinting at potential further job cuts across the company. In an internal memo seen by The Telegraph, the retailer said it was set to half its two-week redundancy pay per year of service policy to make it “more affordable...

ManagementFeatured

John Lewis appoints former director to helm retail business

John Lewis Partnership has announced that Peter Ruis, a former director of the company, will be returning to lead the retail business through its next phase of transformation. Ruis will take on the role of executive director for John Lewis from January 15, 2024, seeing its current interim, Naomi Simcock, take up the new position of operations...

BusinessFeatured

Burberry, John Lewis and Farfetch: Top 11 UK stories for 2023

This year has been another turbulent period for the UK fashion market, yet while the cost-of-living crisis continues to grip consumer spending, the industry itself has been a dynamic one. Large-scale acquisitions, fierce competition and a crackdown on malpractice has kept big players on their toes, and has brought to question the needs and...

Business

John Lewis shifts turnaround plan, refocuses on retail

British department store giant John Lewis has reportedly applied some changes to its ongoing turnaround plan, with a renewed focus on retail and fresh initiatives to simplify the business. In an internal magazine seen by the Financial Times, outgoing chair Sharon White and chief executive officer Nish Kankiwala told employees that they would be...

Retail

John Lewis unveils first pre-loved pop-up with Sign of the Times

British department store chain John Lewis has hopped on the pre-loved pop-up bandwagon, opening such a concept in its Peter Jones store in partnership with reseller Sign of the Times. Located on Sloane Square in Chelsea, Peter Jones is a part of the John Lewis Partnership and will, for a certain period of time, play host to a collection of...

Business

John Lewis unveils anticipated Christmas campaign

British department store retailer John Lewis has unveiled its annual Christmas campaign, the first to be produced under the group’s newest creative partner Saatchi and Saatchi. Dubbed ‘Snapper, the perfect tree’, the video campaign centres around a boy that nurtures a plant from seed with the belief that he is cultivating a “perfect Christmas...

PeopleFeatured

John Lewis names Paul Jones as head of brand

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which owns and operates department store John Lewis and supermarket Waitrose, has appointed former Tesco executive Paul Jones as head of brand and store experience. In a statement, JLP said that Jones, who was with Tesco for 12 years, most recently as head of brand, store design, will be in charge of developing...

ManagementFeatured

John Lewis head Sharon White to step down within a year

Sharon White, the chairman of British department store group John Lewis Partnership, has announced her intention to step down from the helm position, asking the board to initiate a process to appoint her successor. It comes as White begins to enter the final stages of her five-year term at the company, having initially stepped into the role in...

ManagementFeatured

John Lewis Partnership narrows H1 loss, but turnaround timeline extended

John Lewis Partnership, which comprises department store chain John Lewis and supermarket Waitrose, expects its turnaround strategy to be delayed by two years despite narrowing losses in the first half of the year. In the six months to July 29, the employee-owned company made a loss before tax and exceptional items of 57.3 million pounds from a...