John Lewis scraps staff bonus again despite tripling profit Retail The John Lewis Partnership has scrapped its staff bonus for the third year in a row despite a near-tripling in profit. The company, which owns both John Lewis and Waitrose, told markets this morning that profit before tax increased from £42m to £126m over the 52 weeks to 25 January. Overall sales rose three per [...]
John Lewis misses festive sales target as turnaround falters Retail Sales at John Lewis are reported to have fallen short over the key Christmas trading period as middle-class Brits increasingly switch to shops like Marks and Spencer. According to reports from the Daily Telegraph, sales at Waitrose similarly missed targets. The employee-owned John Lewis Partnership (JLP) blamed “lower consumer confidence and weaker than expected market confidence” for [...]
14 best women’s accessories to elevate your style game in 2025 Life&Style The trend for women’s accessories in 2025 are a blend of contemporary elegance and practical design, with sustainability taking centre stage. From reversible belts to versatile bags and cosy scarves, these pieces demonstrate that thoughtful craftsmanship can elevate your personal style. These carefully curated accessories promise to add charm, sophistication, and individuality to any outfit. [...]
Post-Christmas shopping to rise as bargain-hunters ’emerge’ – analyst December 28, 2024 Post-Christmas shopping is expected to pick up on Friday after data showed there were fewer consumers hitting the high streets for Boxing Day bargains. By midday on Friday, footfall at shops across the country was eight per cent higher than the same day last year, according to retail analysts MRI Software. It follows refreshed figures [...]
Festive advertising set to reach record high this Christmas November 7, 2024 Corporate spending on advertising is set to reach a record high this Christmas as brands look to cash in on consumers’ appetite for festive storytelling. Companies are set to spend a record £10.5bn in the UK on advertising over the Christmas season, according to industry trade body the Advertising Association and data provider WARC. Many [...]
John Lewis set for Black Friday and Christmas hiring spree October 28, 2024 The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is gearing up for a hiring offensive in the coming months as the retail group looks to bring in thousands of temporary staff for the festive season. Some 12,500 new workers are set to join its John Lewis department store and Waitrose grocery arm, up 4,100 on the same period [...]
Sir Rocco Forte leads 300 business leaders in call to scrap ‘spectacular own goal’ tourist tax October 21, 2024 Over 300 business leaders have signed a letter asking Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reinstate tax-free shopping in the UK, calling the so-called tourist tax a “spectacular own goal” for retail. The signatories, which include hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, Paul Smith, Heathrow, John Lewis and Shakespeare’s Globe, have said that if Reeves is serious about promoting [...]
Government should consider Post Office mutualisation, ex-minister says October 20, 2024 The government should consider plans to turn the Post Office into a John Lewis-style mutual, a former business minister has said, amid reports Whitehall is looking at the viability. Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake has said he would support a proposal to transform the Post Office’s business structure into a mutual in which customers [...]
John Lewis partners with Zopa to boost personal loan offering October 16, 2024 John Lewis has partnered with an online back to offer personal loans of up to £35,000 to its 23m customers. The department store chain‘s financial services arm is working with Zopa Bank to provide its customers with more finance options. The bank will be embedded into the John Lewis Money website with a personalised loan [...]
John Lewis boss to step back from role after two years October 7, 2024 John Lewis Partnership chief executive Nish Kankiwala will step back from his role in spring next year, with freshly-inaugurated chair Jason Terry to take a larger role in the day-to-day running of the firm. The retailer, which runs both the John Lewis retail chain and the Waitrose grocery arm, said that Kankiwala will revert to [...]