John Lewis & Partners
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA British department-store brand owned through the employee-benefit structure of the John Lewis Partnership. British department store offering own-brand towels and home goods.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
John Lewis & Partners is a British department-store brand operated by John Lewis plc, the retail division of the John Lewis Partnership. Its origins lie in a drapery shop opened by John Lewis on Oxford Street in London in 1864. The business expanded from a single London store into a national department-store network through acquisitions, new developments and the integration of specialist capabilities in buying, textiles, food, home and retail services. The brand’s modern identity was shaped by John Lewis’s son, John Spedan Lewis. After developing the partnership concept while managing Peter Jones, he established the employee-benefit structure that became the foundation of the John Lewis Partnership. The partnership is held in trust for its employees, historically known as partners, rather than being controlled by conventional outside shareholders. This ownership model has been central to the company’s reputation and to its approach to service, employee participation and long-term investment. John Lewis sells fashion, beauty, home furnishings, furniture, electrical goods, technology, nursery products, gifts and seasonal merchandise. It combines national-scale buying with own-brand ranges and a broad set of services, including home design, furniture and flooring support, delivery, installation and click-and-collect. The retailer has also used its stores as anchors for major shopping-centre developments, while its website extends the range beyond what can be displayed in individual branches. Its sister business, Waitrose & Partners, has supplied selected grocery and household products through some John Lewis locations. For much of its history, John Lewis was associated with the “Never Knowingly Undersold” promise, introduced in 1925. The policy committed the retailer to matching or beating comparable prices from national high-street competitors, subject to its terms. It became a distinctive expression of the brand’s value proposition, although changing shopping habits, online price comparison and margin pressure led the company to end the pledge in 2022. John Lewis announced its return in September 2024, presenting the revived promise as part of a broader attempt to strengthen customer trust and competitiveness. The brand is also strongly associated with advertising, particularly its annual Christmas television campaign, which began in 2007. These advertisements became recurring features of British popular culture and helped position John Lewis as an emotionally distinctive retailer rather than simply a store chain. The company has received Royal Warrants for selected stores, including its Oxford Street and Reading operations, although the warrant arrangements and wording have changed over time. John Lewis expanded substantially during the 2000s and 2010s, opening or refurbishing stores in locations including Cardiff, Stratford, Birmingham, Exeter, Leeds, Chelmsford, Oxford, Cheltenham and Westfield London. It also tested smaller city-centre formats and integrated digital ordering into physical stores. However, the company faced sustained pressure from online retail, discounting, changing consumer behaviour, high operating costs and difficult department-store economics. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified those problems: stores temporarily closed in 2020, investment was reduced and a number of branches were subsequently closed. In the 2020s, John Lewis has focused on restoring profitability, reshaping its store estate, improving its digital and service proposition and reducing costs. The Partnership announced plans in 2024 to reduce up to 11,000 roles over five years, through redundancies and by not replacing some vacancies. Later that year it announced an £800 million investment programme over four years, with substantial spending directed toward the John Lewis brand and store renewal. As of 2023, the chain had 35 stores across Great Britain. Its present positioning remains that of an upmarket, service-led British departmen…
History
John Lewis began the business in 1864 by opening a drapery shop on Oxford Street in London. The operation expanded when Lewis acquired Peter Jones, a department store in Sloane Square, in 1905. His son, John Spedan Lewis, became an important architect of the company’s later structure. He developed the partnership idea while managing Peter Jones and formally established the John Lewis Partnership in 1920. The partnership’s employee-oriented culture was supported by internal communications such as the Gazette, first published in 1918. Expansion beyond London accelerated in the interwar period. The Partnership acquired Jessop & Son in Nottingham in 1933 and Waitrose in 1937. During the Second World War it acquired Selfridge Provincial Stores, bringing a group of regional department stores into the wider organisation. Further acquisitions included Heelas in Reading and the textile manufacturer Herbert Parkinson in 1953. Some acquired stores retained their historic local names for decades before being converted to the John Lewis identity; Peter Jones remains a notable exception. The group’s buying and own-brand activities developed alongside its store network. John Lewis became one of the first British department-store groups to use centralised buying, and it introduced the Jonell(e) name for own-brand merchandise in 1937. From 2001, own-brand products increasingly adopted the John Lewis name, with additional ranges such as Collection by John Lewis, John Lewis & Co. and Collection Weekend by John Lewis. Herbert Parkinson continued to provide textile products including duvets, pillows and furnishings. During the later twentieth century, the retailer became an important anchor for shopping-centre development. The relocated Nottingham store opened in the Victoria Centre in 1972. Changes to Sunday-trading law in 1994 also altered the traditional operating pattern under which stores closed on Mondays to provide staff with a full two-day weekend. The brand continued to build its reputation around service, broad product selection and the Never Knowingly Undersold promise, which originated in 1925. The 2000s brought major investment in stores and customer facilities. Peter Jones underwent a substantial refurbishment completed in 2004, while the Oxford Street flagship was extensively renovated in the mid-2000s. New food halls and restaurant concepts were introduced, including a Waitrose food hall at Oxford Street in 2007. John Lewis opened or expanded branches in Cardiff, Stratford, Exeter, Birmingham, Leeds, Chelmsford, Oxford, Cheltenham and other locations. The Westfield London store, opened in 2018, became the chain’s fiftieth store at the time. The company also tested smaller city-centre formats with a more focused range supported by online ordering and click-and-collect. John Lewis’s marketing profile changed significantly in this period. Its Christmas television advertising, launched in 2007, became an annual national event and helped make the retailer one of Britain’s most recognisable advertising brands. The company also served as the official department-store provider for the London 2012 Olympic Games, selling official merchandise. Selected stores held Royal Warrants for supplying household, haberdashery and related goods. The retailer entered the late 2010s under increasing pressure from online competition, discounting and changing consumer behaviour. In 2018, profit including Waitrose fell sharply as heavy promotional activity and price matching reduced margins. The COVID-19 pandemic then forced all John Lewis stores to close temporarily from March 2020. The Partnership reduced investment and announced successive rounds of store closures in 2020 and 2021. It reported a £517 million loss for the previous year, reflecting the pandemic and broader restructuring pressures. In 2022, John Lewis ended the Never Knowingly Undersold policy, arguing that traditional high-street price matching was less relevant in an online market. The promise was restored in 2024 as part of a renewed effort to reinforce the brand’s value credentials. Also in 2024, the Partnership announced a plan to reduce up to 11,000 roles over five years and later confirmed an £800 million investment programme for the John Lewis brand, much of it directed toward stores. The business remains active as a British omnichannel department-store retailer with an employee-benefit ownership model and a network concentrated in Great Britain.
- 2024
Price pledge restored
[1]John Lewis announces the return of Never Knowingly Undersold.
- 2022
Price pledge discontinued
[1]The company ends the Never Knowingly Undersold pledge after nearly a century.
- 2021
ANYDAY launches
[5]John Lewis introduces a value-oriented own-brand range across multiple household and lifestyle categories.
- 2020
Pandemic accelerates restructuring
[8]Store closures and changes in shopping behavior lead the partnership to review its estate, costs and operating model.
- 2018
Brand becomes John Lewis & Partners
[1]The retailer adopts the John Lewis & Partners name as part of a major rebrand aligned with Waitrose & Partners.
- 2015
Birmingham flagship opens
[1]The Birmingham store opens at Grand Central after construction delays.
- 2013
John Lewis becomes an established omnichannel retailer
[3]The retailer continues integrating stores, online shopping and click-and-collect services as digital sales become central to its model.
- 2011
Stratford store opens
[1]A John Lewis store opens at Westfield Stratford City alongside the Olympic Park development.
- 2007
Annual Christmas advertising tradition begins
[1]John Lewis launches the first of its modern annual Christmas campaigns, helping turn seasonal advertising into a major brand platform.
- 1937
Waitrose joins the group
[1]The Partnership acquires Waitrose, which later becomes the group's supermarket arm.
Products and positioning
Upmarket, service-led British department retail focused on quality, breadth of choice, trusted own-brand products and employee-oriented corporate values. A trusted, service-led British department-store and omnichannel retailer offering a broad, quality-oriented assortment across home, technology, fashion, beauty and gifting, supported by the distinctive employee-ownership model of the John Lewis Partnership.
Private-label merchandise · 1937
John Lewis own-brand ranges
John Lewis develops and sells own-brand products across home, furniture, fashion, electrical goods, nursery and lifestyle categories. Earlier own-brand activity used the Jonell(e) name, while later ranges increasingly carried the John Lewis name. Other identified labels include Collection by John Lewis, John Lewis & Co. and Collection Weekend by John Lewis.
Home furnishings
Home and furniture
The home assortment includes furniture, furnishings, bedding, textiles, cookware, tableware, lighting, flooring and decorative products. The category is supported by design advice, delivery and installation services and has historically benefited from the Partnership’s Herbert Parkinson textile manufacturing business. Furniture and home furnishings are among John Lewis's most important categories. The assortment includes sofas, tables, storage, lighting, rugs, curtains and decorative products, with both own-brand and third-party ranges. The category is supported by delivery, installation and other home services in selected circumstances.
Consumer electronics
Electrical and technology
John Lewis sells household appliances, televisions, computing products, mobile and personal technology and related accessories. Stores combine product display with advice, delivery and installation, while online ordering provides access to a wider assortment.
Fashion and personal care
Fashion and beauty
The fashion and beauty offer covers womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, fragrance and personal-care products. The assortment combines third-party brands with John Lewis private-label collections and is tailored to the department-store format.
Baby and child
Nursery and childcare
The retailer's Baby & Child business includes nursery furniture, pushchairs, car seats, clothing, feeding products, toys and related equipment. The category received particular attention during the Partnership's internal Project ā profitability programme.
Consumer electronics
Electricals and technology
John Lewis sells televisions, audio equipment, computers, smartphones, smart-home products and small and large domestic appliances. Its proposition combines branded electronics with product advice, delivery, installation and after-sales services, helping it compete with both specialist retailers and online marketplaces.
Apparel
Fashion and accessories
The fashion offer covers womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, luggage and accessories. John Lewis combines its own clothing labels with national and international brands, using department-store presentation and online assortment to serve customers across everyday, occasion and seasonal needs.
Private-label retail · 2021
John Lewis ANYDAY
ANYDAY is a John Lewis own-brand range positioned at more accessible price points. It spans products such as homeware, furniture, electrical goods, textiles and nursery merchandise. The range was created to broaden the customer base and provide a clearer value option within the John Lewis assortment.
Beauty retail
Beauty and personal care
John Lewis's beauty business includes skincare, cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, grooming and related accessories. It combines established beauty brands with selected services and online discovery tools, making the category part of the retailer's wider fashion, gifting and personal-care proposition.
Controversies
2020
John Lewis recalls cot mattresses after safety-test failure
In July 2020, John Lewis & Partners issued a recall of a cot mattress after the product failed to meet safety standards. The retailer announced the recall following the safety-test failure, according to a report by The Bolton News. The recall concerned a cot mattress that did not meet the applicable safety requirements. The announcement identified the product as a cot mattress and stated that it had failed safety tests. No further details about the number of affected products, the specific test involved, or the outcome of the recall were provided in the available information.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012London 2012 official department-store programme
United Kingdom
John Lewis served as the official department-store provider for the London 2012 Olympic Games and made official merchandise available through its stores. John Lewis served as the official department-store provider for the London 2012 Olympic Games and made official merchandise available through its stores, extending the brand's national visibility through a high-profile sporting partnership.
Outcome. Extended the brand’s national visibility through a high-profile sporting partnership.
- 2007John Lewis Christmas advertising
United Kingdom
John Lewis launched its first Christmas television advertisement in 2007. The campaign format developed into an annual storytelling tradition, typically using an emotionally resonant narrative and a prominent music track to build anticipation for the Christmas shopping season. It became a recurring feature of British popular culture and a major expression of the brand's emotional positioning.
Outcome. Became a recurring feature of British popular culture and a major expression of the brand’s emotional positioning.
- 2007Annual Christmas advertising campaign
United Kingdom
John Lewis began its modern annual Christmas advertising tradition with story-led commercials designed to associate the brand with generosity, emotion and gift giving.
Outcome. The campaign format became a recurring feature of British popular culture and a major source of brand attention.
Brand decisions
2024
Five-year workforce reduction planStrategyBackground
The Partnership sought to return the business to profitability amid prolonged pressure on department-store economics.
Action taken
John Lewis announced plans to reduce up to 11,000 roles over five years through redundancies and by leaving some vacancies unfilled.
Aftermath
The plan formed part of a wider turnaround programme alongside store investment and efforts to improve trading performance.
2024
Investment in brand and storesStrategyBackground
Following restructuring and efforts to restore profitability, the Partnership identified store renewal as an important part of the John Lewis recovery plan.
Action taken
The Partnership confirmed an £800 million investment programme in the John Lewis brand over four years, with a substantial allocation for stores.
Aftermath
The programme was presented as a means of revitalising the estate and improving the customer proposition.
Planned investment. £800 million (Four years announced in November 2024)
2022
End the Never Knowingly Undersold pledgePrice changeBackground
The company concluded that a price-matching promise created less value in a retail environment dominated by online comparison and changing competitor structures.
Action taken
John Lewis discontinued the pledge for branded products sold through its department-store business.
Aftermath
The pledge was restored in September 2024 as part of a renewed effort to reinforce value and customer trust.
2021
Launch the ANYDAY own-brand rangeProduct launchBackground
The retailer needed a clearer value proposition as households became more price-sensitive and competition increased across home and general merchandise.
Action taken
John Lewis introduced ANYDAY across categories including home, furniture, technology and nursery.
Aftermath
ANYDAY became a lower-priced entry point within the John Lewis own-brand architecture.
2020
Pandemic store-closure and restructuring programmeStrategyBackground
COVID-19 forced the temporary closure of all department stores and intensified existing pressure on large physical retail locations.
Action taken
The Partnership reduced planned investment and announced successive closures of department stores in 2020 and 2021.
Aftermath
The company reported major losses and shifted greater emphasis toward online retail, selected stores and cost reduction.
2020
Restructure the store estate and operating modelStrategyBackground
The pandemic accelerated the shift to online shopping while department stores faced high fixed costs and weaker physical footfall.
Action taken
The partnership announced store closures, cost reductions and changes intended to make the business more sustainable and digitally focused.
Aftermath
John Lewis continued operating a national store and online network while using a smaller and more selectively managed physical estate.
1929
Adopt employee partnership ownershipStrategyBackground
John Spedan Lewis sought to change the governance and distribution of the business after taking control of the family company.
Action taken
The John Lewis business was transferred into the John Lewis Partnership, giving employees a formal stake in the enterprise.
Aftermath
Employee ownership became a defining feature of the group's governance, culture and public positioning.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
John Lewis area opens inside Waitrose in Basingstoke[10]
A dedicated John Lewis area opened inside a Waitrose store in Basingstoke.
Reported
Bike Club partners with John Lewis[11]
Bike Club, a children's bike subscription service, partnered with retailer John Lewis, starting with the retailer's Stratford store.
Reported
John Lewis launches early Black Friday discounts[12]
John Lewis launched a limited selection of early Black Friday discounts, including offers on Apple AirPods and Sony headphones.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
John Lewis teams up with Nutmeg to offer investment products[13]
John Lewis said it had teamed up with digital wealth manager Nutmeg to offer three investment products: a junior ISA, a general investment account, and a stocks and shares ISA. The announcement marks John Lewis's entry into the investments market.
Reported
John Lewis rolls out three investment products[14]
John Lewis and Nutmeg rolled out a junior Isa, a stocks and shares Isa, and a general investment account for customers.
Reported
Waitrose and Shell expand partnership[15]
Waitrose and Shell expanded their partnership, planning to more than double the number of Shell forecourt shops selling Waitrose food and drink by 2025 and roll out 800 Shell EV charging points at 100 Waitrose sites over four years. The tie-up also provides for John Lewis Click & Collect at up to 80 additional Shell forecourt shops that summer.
Reported
John Lewis Partnership expands click-and-collect availability[16]
The John Lewis Partnership expanded its click-and-collect service to its Channel Islands branches, making the option available across its entire store estate; customers can collect orders from John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
Reported
John Lewis opens online Christmas shop[17]
John Lewis opened its online Christmas shop on 24 August, selling seasonal decorations, hampers and other festive products.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
John Lewis recalls cot mattresses after safety-test failure[9]
John Lewis issued a recall of a cot mattress after the product failed to meet safety standards.
Reported
John Lewis says store closures could lead to 1,300 job cuts[18]
John Lewis announced planned store closures that could result in 1,300 job cuts.
Sources28 sources
- 1John Lewis & Partnersen.wikipedia.org
- 2John Lewis official websitejohnlewis.com
- 3John Lewis Partnership: Our historyjohnlewispartnership.co.uk
- 4John Lewis Partnership: Our leadershipjohnlewispartnership.co.uk
- 5John Lewis ANYDAYjohnlewis.com
- 6https://www.johnlewis.com/johnlewis.com
- 7John Spedan Lewis joins the businessen.wikipedia.org
- 8Pandemic accelerates restructuringjohnlewispartnership.co.uk
- 9John Lewis recalls cot mattresses after safety-test failuretheboltonnews.co.uk
- 10John Lewis专区在贝辛斯托克Waitrose店内开业basingstokegazette.co.uk
- 11Bike Club与John Lewis建立合作romfordrecorder.co.uk
- 12John Lewis 推出提前黑五折扣theargus.co.uk
- 13John Lewis 与 Nutmeg 合作提供投资产品financialpost.com
- 14John Lewis 推出三款投资产品international-adviser.com
- 15Waitrose与Shell扩大合作kamcity.com
- 16John Lewis Partnership 扩大到店取货服务范围thegrocer.co.uk
- 17John Lewis 开设线上圣诞商店northernirelandworld.com
- 18John Lewis称门店关闭可能导致裁员1300人finance.sina.com.cn
- 19John Lewis宣布的关店计划将影响1,300个岗位euronews.com
- 20John Lewis宣布伊普斯维奇门店重新开业eadt.co.uk
- 21John Lewis宣布临时关闭全部门店the-independent.com
- 22John Lewis 推出男士购物服务并开设 VIP 空间standard.co.uk
- 23John Lewis announces plans to reopen two stores in Scotlandthenational.scot
- 24John Lewis has already opened its online Christmas shop - 4 months before the big dayglasgowworld.com
- 25John Lewis has already opened its online Christmas shop - 4 months before the big daylancasterguardian.co.uk
- 26John Lewis Partnership announces closure of all 50 shops after Mondaythenational.scot
- 27John Lewis recalls cot mattresses after safety testssomersetcountygazette.co.uk
- 28John Lewis to permanently close eight more shopsbbc.co.uk
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