TIDM45GD
RNS Number : 0742O
Lewis(John) PLC
27 May 2020
John Lewis plc makes the following announcement for John Lewis
Partnership plc,
the ultimate holding company of John Lewis plc.
Wednesday 27 May 2020
JOHN LEWIS ANNOUNCES SHOP REOPENING PLAN
Shops to open in stages with robust new social distancing
measures putting customer and Partner safety first
John Lewis will begin to reopen its shops for customers as part
of a gradual approach from Monday 15 June, starting with its Poole
and Kingston department stores, followed by 11 others on Thursday
18 June. Depending on the response from customers and Partners to
our new ways of operating with respect to social distancing, more
shops will open throughout the summer. The decision follows the
Government's guidance earlier this week on easing restrictions for
non-essential retailers.
Learning from the social distancing measures the Partnership has
taken in Waitrose shops, John Lewis plans initially to open just
under a quarter of its shops as part of a steady, gradual approach
with rigorous safety and social distancing measures in place.
Branches selected to open have been chosen primarily because of
their accessibility by car.
The business will undertake an ongoing assessment of the
effectiveness of each of the operational changes it implements
during this initial phase of reopening, making adjustments as it
goes to ensure the best and safest customer and Partner experience
possible.
John Lewis temporarily closed its 50 department stores on 23
March for the first time in its 155-year history. However,
johnlewis.com has continued to operate successfully, experiencing a
significant uplift in sales ([1]) .
Sharon White, Partner & Chairman of the John Lewis
Partnership, said: "The momentous events of the last few months
have tested our resilience as a business, but our resourcefulness,
innovation and the spirit of cooperation between Partners has
really shone through.
"It's been heartwarming to see John Lewis Partners stepping into
different roles to support our Waitrose supermarkets and to keep
johnlewis.com running and I'm proud of everything our Partners
across both our brands have done to help us get to this point.
Our shops reopening is a sign of hope as we begin to find our
new normal. There's an opportunity, now, for us to come back
stronger as a business, and offer the safety and reassurance that
customers will want.
"However, while we have experience of social distancing in our
Waitrose shops, we will need to establish new ways of working in
our department stores. We are taking this cautious approach to be
able to learn as we go and to make sure that our shops are as safe
as they can possibly be for our customers and Partners."
As John Lewis takes the first steps in reopening its doors for
business, a raft of measures will be introduced into its shops
drawing from the Partnership's experience of applying and managing
social distancing in its Waitrose supermarkets and from within the
delivery and warehousing aspects of its e-commerce businesses.
These include:
-- The introduction of a "Customer Service Host" assigned to welcome customers into the store and answer any
questions while managing customer numbers, queues both at entrances and busy areas of the shop and explain to
customers what changes they might see in store.
-- Reducing the number of shop entrances.
-- Caps on the number of customers entering stores.
-- Prominent social distancing signage.
-- Protective screens at checkouts and areas of the shop where 2 metre social distancing cannot be achieved between
customers and Partners.
-- Control procedures for escalators and lifts limiting the number of users.
-- Rigorous and frequent cleaning.
-- Provision of hand sanitiser for customers to use at all entrances.
-- Social distancing in back of house areas.
-- New contactless payment limit of GBP45.
-- Limiting the number of additional customer services - for example close-contact beauty services will not be
offered and customer catering outlets and fitting rooms will remain closed until further notice.
-- Safe and simple returns process - for example in line with government guidance we are going to separate returned
stock from new or old stock for 72 hours.
In addition, customers will be able to learn more about the
measures we are taking in our branches via a short film, which will
be hosted on johnlewis.com.
Depending on customer feedback and how the first phase of
openings progress, other initiatives which may be considered
include: virtual queueing, returns drop boxes and enabling Click
& Collect from our branch carparks.
Branches opening in the first stage are; from Monday 15 June:
Kingston and Poole and from Thursday 18 June; Bluewater, Cambridge,
Cheadle, Cheltenham, High Wycombe, Horsham, Ipswich, Norwich,
Nottingham, Solihull and Welwyn.
Prior to opening, each shop will undertake a four-week reopening
preparation programme. This includes counting stock, replenishment,
preparation of systems, merchandising, deep cleaning, the
introduction of social distancing measures, Partner training and
final pre-opening checks.
-ENDS-
For press information please contact:
Gillian Taylor
gillian.e.taylor@johnlewis.co.uk
07919 057931
Katie Robson
katie.robson@johnlewis.co.uk
07584 669696
For Debt Investor queries please contact:
Lynn Lochhead on investor.relations@johnlewis.co.uk or 07834
770684
Notes to editors:
CUSTOMER CARE
John Lewis customers can find further information at
ww.johnlewis.com/customer-services/faq/coronavirus-covid-19
Waitrose customers can find further information at
www.waitrose.com/ecom/help-information/customer-service/coronavirus
ABOUT THE JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP
The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's
best-loved retail brands - John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose
& Partners. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the
Partnership is the largest employee-owned business in the UK and
amongst the largest in the world, with over 80,000 employees who
are all Partners in the business. For all intents and purposes, the
Partnership is a social enterprise; the profits made are reinvested
into the business - for customers and Partners.
John Lewis & Partners operates 50 shops across the UK (37
department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras
International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com .
Waitrose & Partners has 338 shops in England, Scotland, Wales
and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and
another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. Waitrose &
Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide and
has nine shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. The
retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery
service, Waitrose.com , as well as specialist online shops
including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for
plants and flowers. Our food business is bigger than our non-food
business and our John Lewis shop sales represent less than a
quarter of the Partnership's total revenue.
([1]) John Lewis online sales between 15 March and 18 April 2020
increased 84%
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END
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