John Lewis suspends click and collect service to discourage non-essential travel
John Lewis has suspended its click and collect service in a bid to prevent unnecessary travel during the coronavirus lockdown.
The department store chain said this afternoon that the service will not accept any new orders from the end of the day.
It said it is “conscious of the increased need to remove reasons for non-essential travel during the current lockdown, to help encourage the public to stay at home”.
The retailer has also reduced the activities of its in-home services and installation teams, “pausing services which are not essential to the health and wellbeing of customers and their families”.
John Lewis said all existing bookings will be honoured where the customer still wishes to proceed, but no further bookings will be accepted.
Andrew Murphy, executive director of operations at John Lewis said: “We’ve listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK’s governments in recent days.
“While we recognise that the detail of formal guidance has not changed, we feel it is right for us – and in the best interests of our partners and customers – to take proactive steps to further enhance our Covid-security and related operational policies.”
Click and collect services, as well as home delivery options, have been a lifeline for many non-essential retailers that have been forced to close during coronavirus lockdowns since the pandemic began in March last year.