John Lewis cuts losses after IT glitch left shelves empty

The partnership, which runs John Lewis department stores as well as Waitrose, reported a first-half loss of £30 million ($39 million), down from £57 million a year earlier. It said Waitrose, which has been fighting to move on from an IT glitch that left it with empty shelves in stores, has recovered sales and volume.

The improved picture comes as Jason Tarry, the former head of UK and Ireland for Tesco Plc, prepares to take over as chairman of the employee-owned group next week. He replaces White, who ran the telecommunications regulator Ofcom before taking on the John Lewis role in 2020.

JLP typically makes most of its profits in the second half of the year, when sales are buoyed by Christmas spending. However, the ongoing losses show how far the retailer has to go with its turnaround plan, which has been under way since White took over. 

John Lewis stores are still struggling with sales down 3% in the first half, which it blamed on a tough environment for general merchandise. Fashion struggled due to a squeeze on consumer spending and poor weather over the British summer. There was also lower demand for big ticket items, although cookware increased while technology benefited from sales of smart wearables such as the Oura ring, it said.

Adjusted operating profit at John Lewis stores fell by £24 million as it invested in better customer service.

Still, JLP — a long-time favorite of England’s middle classes — said it expected to deliver a significantly higher full-year profit than the £42 million it reported for the previous year.

That is partly thanks to Waitrose, which has been growing at 4%, ahead of the wider grocery market, according to the latest Kantar figures. It now has a 4.6% market share, the research firm said earlier this week.

JLP said Thursday that Waitrose sales grew by 5% with volumes up 2%, thanks to new partnerships including with the chef Yotam Ottolenghi and the health app Zoe. Waitrose plans to open as many as 100 new convenience stores over the next five years, and to refurbish some of its existing shops.