For the first in its 155-year history, John Lewis will be closing all its 50 shops on Monday at the close of business due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the website, Johnlewis.com, alongside waitrose.com and wait rose shops will not stop operating. Yet, Waitrose food offers at Bluewater, Watford, and Southampton will also temporarily shut down.
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This is the first time in the company’s 155-year history that it will be shutting its doors to customers.
However, customers will be able to choose either to receive orders in their homes or to click and collect from their local Waitrose.
The decision came after the country’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, said all restaurants, bars, cinemas, and other non-essentials should close.
Statement from Sharon White, the company’s chair reads, “The Partnership has traded for over 155 years, during which time we have faced many difficult periods, including two world wars and the 2008 financial crisis,” Ms. White said. Also, she said the decision to shut all of John Lewis stores was not easy to make. It was made with a heavy heart.
Besides, from the statement, “The food halls within John Lewis Oxford Street and Waitrose shops which share premises with John Lewis space at Kingston, Ipswich, Stratford, Horsham, Basingstoke, and Canary Wharf will remain open, along with all other Waitrose branches and Waitrose.com grocery deliveries.”
She then went on to thank all their customers, partners, stakeholders, and suppliers.
The company’s website generates half of John Lewis’s business, and it will continue to operate.
What happens to partners at the close John Lewis Store?
Ms. White added that partners who were working at the closed John Lewis stores would take up important roles. They will work to provide critical services and support their colleagues at Waitrose shops. Also, they will guide customers to get what they need using the John Lewis website.
There are over 2000 John Lewis partners working at Waitrose shops already to help with the rise in grocery demand. Also, they will be redeployed to provide additional support to johnlewis.com, and Waitrose for other online businesses asides food.
