John Lewis has announced the appointment of Glynis Gunning-Stevenson as the branch manager of its new at home shop in Ashford, due to open later this year. John Lewis at home Ashford will be located on a site close to junction
Matt Clark, director at UK management consultancy, Boxwood, explores the upsides and downsides of omni-channel retailing and provides pointers for those bricks and mortar retailers ready to take the plunge All you hear these days in the trade press and conference
Strawberries and Prosecco were among the top-selling lines last weekend at the first little Waitrose in a John Lewis department store, which opened on 20 June 2013. Customers also took advantage of the expert advice that the specialists working on the
John Lewis is selling WorldPay’s pay as you go Chip & PIN keypads in 39 stores and online. The new service is said to be quick and easy to set-up. Businesses and sole traders can simply apply online at www.worldpayzinc.com or download
John Lewis has announced plans to recruit more than 100 apprentices for its 2013/2014 Retail Apprenticeship programme, and launch a Technology Apprenticeship aimed at training the next generation of IT and systems leaders in the business. Now in its second
Staff from John Lewis Exeter spent the weekend volunteering at this year’s Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink. Working as ‘Festival Ambassadors’ over the three-day event, Partners from the shop fulfilled a variety of roles including site stewards, gate
Asda is accelerating development of its multi-channel business with investment in click and collect for food and general merchandise and same day delivery on grocery home shopping. Announcing a 4.5% uplift in total sales, including petrol, to £22.8bn for 2012
Three quarters of major UK retailers do not offer free in-store Wi-Fi, according to new research from mobile marketing agency Sponge. Sponge surveyed 117 retailers with multiple stores in central London, and found 28 give customers the ability to log on
Great customer service is a key element in recruitment at John Lewis, according to the retailer’s resourcing manager, Carole Donaldson. Speaking at a breakfast seminar, hosted by WCN, a leading global e-recruitment software supplier, Donaldson said: “Every candidate is also a
The Southern Co-operative (TSC) has appointed industry expert Gemma Lacey as head of sustainability in a new role to focus specifically on reducing the business’ environmental footprint. Gemma joins The Southern Co-operative (TSC) from the John Lewis Partnership, where she was head of
Retailers continue to improve their customer service, strengthening their position at the top of the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI). The UKCSI is the national measure of customer satisfaction, from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), which gauges
Department store websites are increasingly popular with fashion-conscious consumers preparing for the festive season, the latest Kantar Media Compete Seasonal Shopper Insights reveals. Released today, the research shows in the run-up to Christmas, department stores saw a 9% increase in
John Lewis has appointed Leeds-based advertising agency, McGrath O’Toole, to rebrand its internal communications vehicle, the Partners’ Counsellor’s Directorate; and its related change programme, Driving the Difference. The project will also involve the design and implementation of a range of
Chris Gates, director of retail at Hitachi Consulting UK, considers the trend to pop up stores and the retailer benefits and opportunities It has been reported one in six premises now stands empty across the UK, compared with just one in 20
Waitrose and John Lewis at home are trading side by side for the first time in the UK in Ipswich. The new stores opened their doors on 8 November 2012 with the John Lewis at home Christmas shop reported
Red Letter Days, the experiences company owned by entrepreneurs Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, has signed an exclusive agreement with John Lewis to be the sole gift experiences provider to the leading department store group. Available in 30 John
John Lewis’s advertising campaign, created by by Adam and Eve and Manning Gottleib OMD, took the top prize at the IPA Effectiveness Awards ceremony held last night at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane (29 October 2012). The Awards are
Amanda Sourry, Unilever UK and Ireland chairman, has been shortlisted in the Top Employer Awards run by the jobs and community website for working mums, workingmums.co.uk. Sourry is shortlisted in the Working Mums Champion category, sponsored by CA Technologies, for
John Lewis is trialling two virtual fashion mirrors at its flagship London department store on Oxford Street, providing customers with a new way to try on clothes using the latest technology. The 6ft by 3ft mirrors, developed by technology specialist
The retail industry remains the strongest performing sector for customer service, with internet retailers stealing a march on their high street competitors, according to the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI)by the Institute of Consumer Service (ICS). Online fashion retailer,
Jubilee celebrations helped drive retailer fan bases in May 2012, according to ChannelAdvisor’s latest UK Facebook Commerce Index. Amazon recorded a 14% increase in fans, chasing Marks & Spencer and Tesco; which rank second and first respectively in May’s Top
Retail brands need to be present anywhere and everywhere on the path to purchase if they are to thrive in 2012, according to the seventh annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study. Top retail brand Wal-Mart has successfully addressed the
Country lifestyle fashion brand, Joules, has teamed up with bed and bath brand, Bedeck, to develop its first bed and bath collection. Launching in early autumn/winter 2012, the collection will feature ranges for both adults and children including bed linen,
Kobo, a global leader in eReading with over 7m users in more than 170 countries worldwide, has announced the appointment of Phil Wood as country manager, UK. According to the company, Wood joins the eReading company in a newly created UK role as
In his regular column for Retail Times, Simon Chinn, lead consultant at retail research agency, Conlumino, reports on the seasonal opportunity for pop-up stores Throughout last year, QR codes – those little barcodes of black and white squares that you
