John Lewis to axe another 1,500 jobs as pandemic pummels the high street

Profits have been hit hard by the pandemic

John Lewis Partnership is axing 1500 jobs

4 November 2020

John Lewis Partnership today said it was axing up to 1,500 jobs at its head offices in London’s Victoria Street and in Bracknell as it drastically cuts costs across the business.

The retail giant, which runs John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, said it will cut the roles by April 2021.

Employee-owned business John Lewis Partnership said that the move will help it to save another £50 million as it seeks to secure £300 million in annual savings by 2022.

The announcement comes months after chairman Sharon White revealed plans to shut eight John Lewis stores with the loss of 1,300 jobs and the closure of four Waitrose stores in a move which hit 124 jobs.

In September, the group also told staff they would not receive a bonus for the first time since 1953 after it dived to a £635 million pre-tax loss for the six months to July, following a £470 million writedown on its stores.

The partnership, which has 78,000 employees, said that the latest cuts are part of an efficiency plan designed to “create an agile and flexible head office” which is closer to customers and frontline staff.

JLP said it will now be consulting with affected partners about the cuts and will seek to find new roles elsewhere in the company where possible.

Patrick Lewis, executive director of finance and great-grandson of the company’s founder, will also leave the business.

He will be replaced by current executive director for customer service Bérangère Michel.

Sharon White, chairman, said: “Our partnership plan sets a course to create a thriving and sustainable business for the future.

“To achieve this we must be agile and able to adapt quickly to the changing needs of our customers. Losing partners is incredibly hard as an employee-owned business.

“Wherever possible, we will seek to find new roles in the partnership and we’ll provide the best support and retraining opportunities for partners who leave us.”

A number of retail giants have announced job culls in recent months as the high street has been decimated by the pandemic.

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John Lewis to axe another 1,500 jobs as pandemic pummels the high street