// John Lewis Partnership to make up to 1000 job cuts at its Waitrose and John Lewis stores
// The business is proposing a reduction in the number of layers between the most senior leaders & non-management staff
// The restructure forms part of the five-year Partnership Plan, which aims to reduce costs by £300m per year by 2022
The John Lewis Partnership has unveiled plans to make up to 1000 job cuts at its Waitrose and John Lewis stores in a bid to simplify management structures.
The Retail Gazette understands that the partnership wants to simplify its management structures in Waitrose and John Lewis stores – a strategy pursued by a number of other retailers in recent years – by reducing the number of layers between the most senior leaders and non-management staff.
If confirmed, the proposals would result in around 1000 roles being made redundant across John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
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Staff were reportedly informed of the proposals this morning.
The proposals are also reportedly part of the John Lewis Partnership’s wider Partnership Plan, the major turnaround scheme being spearheaded by partnership boss Dame Sharon White.
It’s thought that the money saved from the redundancies could then be used to reinvest in the stores’ customer experience, frontline customer service and visual merchandising.
Retail Gazette understands that within Waitrose, many of the managerial posts that it may lose would be replaced by non-management staff.
Meanwhile, staff will be supported and assisted in finding new roles to minimise compulsory redundancies.
“We have announced to our partners our intention to simplify our management structures in Waitrose and John Lewis stores, which will allow us to reinvest in what matters most to our customers,” a John Lewis Partnership spokesperson told Retail Gazette.
John Lewis Partnership’s five-year Partnership Plan will see the business aim to reduce costs by £300 million per year by 2022.
The plan will also see the partnership investing around £800 million this year to fund growth.
This is being done through head office transformation, operational restructuring and making efficiencies.
John Lewis Partnership operates 331 Waitrose stores and 34 John Lewis sites.
Should the new redundancy proposals go ahead, this would result, on average, in a reduction of about 2.7 roles per John Lewis and Waitrose shop.
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11 Comments. Leave new
You have to wonder, why the top four bosses all left within a relatively short time, and jlp isn’t better for it, but worse…
I appreciate what John Lewis is doing but they should get to grips with, the number of staff that are allowed to be on on leave with full-time pay due to to so cold sickness and and religious holidays
Fantasies they need to get people with retail passion and people skills. The top are draining money and moral. A team of level 10 partners could run the show without for being rated as world powered ego
They’re not going to reinvest it; it’s a saving a return to profitability.
Very true, even in their own paperwork handed to Partners yesterday it says that the savings will generate £300m per year in 2022, and that they’re projecting a £200m less in 2022. So therefore the excess £100 will become their profit. Such a ridiculous process. Especially considering that John Lewis as a RETAILER have a plan to build 10,000 homes! Thats right a RETAILEr with zero experience in Home Building, building Homes instead of concentrating on their core business/assets in Retail.
This re-structuring may only mean an average of 2.7 roles within the partnership, but clearly services levels and job satisfaction will suffer. It was these qualities that JLP was famous for.
Still with golden goodbyes and fancy salaries for importing experts to make up for the serious shortfall in retail management expertise at the very top, it was inevitable.
Yet another sad day for the partners.
Sharon Black needs to go ,service has gone backwards since she took over.
Feel sorry for the staff who over the years worked hard at giving a great service.
Great Andy Street back.
Her name is Sharon White
In other article I have read that there are a staff shortage.
Always the same management speak.”Customer expeience”.WHAT THE **** IS “CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE”?You go in the store and buy your food.Thats it.Or referring to workers as “colleagues” or “partners”.People will lose jobs no more fancy words.
Surely this is a(nother) poor decision at this time. I get it that savings need to be made, but both service and morale in stores has been in serious decline. Lack of shop floor management will mean that the decline will continue – partners know that job cuts of this magnitude spells bad news.
The partnership seem to be steering from one car crash to another. As Ken said, you’ve got to feel for the partners,