The first major move since he joined in January indicates that Ruis – who previously spent 10 years at the department store – is refocusing on what makes John Lewis special.

“As of Monday, we are bringing back Never Knowingly Undersold,” says Ruis. “This is our brand and has always been our brand. It’s about the quality we offer, it’s about the service we offer, and it’s about the prices we offer.”

He describes its return as “the best of old and best of new”, adding “it’s back and it’s going to be a lot better and different to before”.

The “reimagined” pledge will see the department store use AI to match its prices to those at 25 major retailers – including, for the first time, online brands.

The return of what some say is the best of John Lewis is being supported by the retailer’s “biggest ever marketing campaign” and the start of more than 650 store improvements being rolled out across its entire store network.

A new and improved Never Knowingly Undersold

Ruis admits that Never Knowingly Undersold was “not fit for purpose” when it was ditched in 2022, as staff were left relying on pencils, spreadsheets, and trips to other shops to keep track of prices at competitors.

He says there was “confusion” about how the price pledge worked, adding that it was based too much on a “pre-web, pre-omnichannel world”.

However, he admits the move to focus on everyday quality and value instead – spearheaded by his predecessor Pippa Wicks – had backfired.

“When we removed the price promise, people automatically assumed that all prices went up…that wasn’t necessarily the case,” Ruis says.

The executive director is hoping to change customer perceptions with a new improved and simplified price promise.

“We’ve invested a multi-million pound contract with a new technology called Quicklizard,” he says, explaining that the tech is “AI enabled and allows us to scrape all prices, every minute, every second of every day, and it gives our teams a chance to see in real-time with complete visibility, complete accuracy”.

The software allows the retailer to be “more dynamic” on pricing, with store staff able to update price tickets daily.

“It’s sharpened-up price in a more everyday fashion rather than customers waiting for the big offer,” he says. “You’ll see how dynamic and how competitive they are from today,” he says, noting that the team have made 30,000 price changes so far ahead of its official launch on Monday.

The retailer will be price matching “25 major competitors over £50bn worth of competitive trade with a seven day price mechanism,” Ruis says.

The brands being matched are: AO.com, Amazon (on technology), Apple, Argos, Asos, Boots, Currys, Dunelm, Dreams, The Entertainer, Fenwick, Flannels, Furniture Village, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Heal’s, House of Fraser, Lakeland, M&S, Mama’s & Papa’s, Next, Richer Sounds, Selfridges, Smyths Toys, and Space NK.

In short, the businesses that are likely to have been stealing share from John Lewis in recent years.

“They are the top competitors,” says Ruis. “Why are they top competitors? Because they’re either the market leader or they’re where our customer shops elsewhere.”

John Lewis is also providing a 7-day price promise, where customers can come into stores or file an online claim form if they find the product cheaper elsewhere to get the difference refunded for a week after purchasing the product in store.

Back with a bang

Restoring John Lewis’ ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ pledge was one of the first things on Ruis’ to-do list after returning to the Partnership at the start of the year, he shares.

“I joined in January [and] we started discussing it very strongly in February…It’s been an extreme fast track from about February,” he says, adding its relaunch coincides with the pledge turning 100 next year.

“This is not just a price promise,” Ruis makes clear. “This is about the relaunch of Never Knowingly Undersold, which is about our brand and why it’s so special and so different.”

The return of the famous price pledge is being supported by the retailer’s “biggest ever investment in marketing”, he says.

This includes double page spreads in national newspapers, changes in store and three big ads, which “talk about how John Lewis has worked with the public over 100 years, looking forwards and looking backwards,” says Ruis.

He hopes the new campaign will restore trust in the John Lewis brand among customers to deliver on quality, price and service.

While the John Lewis boss is tight-lipped on how much the retailer is investing in the relaunch, the Partnership revealed earlier this year that it would inject £542m into strengthening its John Lewis and Waitrose brands.

Refreshing John Lewis stores

As well as Never Knowingly Undersold, investment is also being made into John Lewis’ stores. Ruis plans to make more than 650 store improvements, which will apply to the whole estate.

“We’re about four weeks away from launching the new beauty section [in Oxford Street],” he says, explaining the new design will include “a combination of changing the brands around in terms of their new concepts and new brands that we’re increasing distribution of”.

The space dedicated to premium fragrance will grow and a new part of the floor will be allocated to what the department store calls “beauty discovery”, which Ruis describes as “that SpaceNK/Sephora-type world”.

The Oxford Street flagship is one of three stores receiving a makeover of its beauty department, with Cheadle in Stockport and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire set to follow.

John Lewis’ technology department is also getting a revamp and expanding in size, with Ruis sharing “we’ve got a new AI-inspired and PC Laptop rollout coming across the estate”.

Changes will also be brought into its fashion department, which will take inspiration from the concessions model used in its beauty department to boost brand perception.

In another major move that shows that Ruis is looking to improve John Lewis’ other big USP of service, he is vying to bring more partners on the shop floor after the business restructured its store staffing last month.

“I see the opportunity for us to use our staff on the floor in a more effective way,” says Ruis, explaining that John Lewis has “simplified back of house” with the help of a multi-million pound investment into store technology.

The investment includes over 6,000 new digital headsets to help cut wait times and remove the need for staff to have to track each other down in the branch, as well as mobile printers to to allow partners to easily replace missing shelf-edge labels.

Other technology rollouts include a new ship-from-store technology, “which means that everything in our 36 stores will become available for our customers online,” says Ruis.

“It’ll be completely friction free – you won’t know that that your T-shirt has arrived from our Cardiff store or has arrived from our DC in Milton Keynes. It’ll just be virtual and will make online service really good.”

Ruis says the retailer’s online offer will also be bolstered by shipping direct from suppliers. He says this new “direct-to-consumer platform”, will be quicker and will give customers a greater choice from its best brands.

While the John Lewis alumni does not mind looking back and reinstating the important elements that make the department store special, Ruis is also looking to new technologies and ways of selling to make this unique business fit for the modern age.

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Retail Gazette rounds up the best new store openings of the year that have created a real buzz on the high street.

M&S, Battersea in London

At the start of the month, M&S opened the doors to its first clothing-only store inside London’s Battersea Power Station.

The 8,400sq ft shop stocks the retailer’s womenswear and menswear ranges, including dedicated areas for Jaeger, Autograph and Rosie. It also offers a small beauty range, as well as click and collect services.

M&S said: “Shoppers looking for style advice will be assisted by the 35-strong team of customer experience visual stylists who are on hand to provide help with fittings and outfit building.

“And for those who shop online, new click-and-collect points will be available for any online clothing, home and beauty orders.”

The store forms part of the M&S’ £30m investment in its London stores this financial year. The investment includes two new food halls and refurbishing 12 existing stores across the capital, including Blackheath, Chancery Lane, Islington and Teddington.

H&M, Westfield Stratford

H&M reopened the doors to its Westfield Stratford store in November, showcasing a brand new “innovative” technology-centric concept.

The Scandi fashion giant created an elevated shopping experience in the revamped space, which offers a curated selection of its fashion, beauty, and home collections.

Customers can access new smart store services, including interactive fitting rooms, where screens recognise products and provide tailored styling tips based on each individual garment.

Shoppers can also easily request a different colour and size as well as recommended garments directly to the fitting room or order on the H&M website.

New technology also offers mobile checkouts for a seamless shopping experience anywhere on the shop floor, alongside self-service checkouts.

H&M head of expansion for UK and Ireland Klas Degeryd said: “The newly designed store truly reflects our investment and commitment to providing the best of our brand for our London customers.

“Every aspect of the space is crafted with the customer in mind, celebrating the joy of shopping through exceptional design and interactive features. London is a global hub of fashion and creativity, so we are proud to expand and evolve our presence here.”

Sephora, Birmingham

Last month Sephora unveiled its latest store in Birmingham as the beauty giant ramps up its expansion plans for the UK, targeting 20 stores across the nation.

More than 2,000 people queued in Birmingham’s Bullring & Grand Central for the opening of its latest beauty store, which is the French retailer’s sixth in the UK and features the biggest Sephora window facade in Europe at 26 metres.

Customers can shop from a selection of brands across makeup, travel, fragrance, skincare, haircare, grooming and wellness, including exclusive to Sephora UK brands such as Mario, GXVE by Gwen Stefani, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga and Topicals.

Sephora UK managing director Sarah Boyd said: “We’ve once again harnessed the power of listening to our customers to shape our expansion plans around the UK, and the appetite that our beauty community in Birmingham had was profoundly powerful.”

Sainsbury’s Cobham

In October, Sainsbury’s completed a major upgrade to its Cobham superstore in Surrey, which now acts as a ‘labs’ for its test and learn approach.

While not every new or revamped store will be an exact copy, the site has been providing the supermarket with real insight on over 100 ‘experiments’ that have been trialled into what could be rolled out more widely in the future.

More space in the Cobham store has been given to the grocer’s food ranges, with a “quite different” look to a traditional Sainsbury’s supermarket.

New concepts like the ‘fish counter on a wall’ have been introduced, with all the species of fish you would expect to buy at a counter, stored in the same aisle as other fish products, as well as dedicated ‘Free From’ areas and specialty end of aisle displays, such as a speciality cheese section alongside wine pairings.

With the retail sector having experienced unprecedented levels of crime over the past year, the new store layout also pays attention to where higher ticket items, such as beer, wines and spirits, are housed.

At Cobham, these products are presented in a wide, open space in the centre of the store, which is more open, bright and with more staff able to have they eyes on the area, which in turn is driving an uplift in sales and reduced shrinkage.

This section also includes smart shelves, where if someone takes multiple bottles of spirits off at the same time, the shelf will send an alarm out to alert colleagues – a precaution that has been used for quite some time.

Harvey Norman, Merry Hill

Australian lifestyle, home and tech retailer Harvey Norman opened its first English store in October at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands.

The 57,000 sq ft flagship houses a range of luxury furniture, including sofas, dining sets, bedroom suites and mattresses, alongside an assortment of smaller items including kitchenware.

The space also features home appliances, technology, and entertainment items from brands such as Dyson, Shark, Apple, Samsung, LG, Miele and Sage, with dedicated areas for each product category, including a cooking appliance centre that has been specifically designed for Merry Hill.

Harvey Norman UK MD Lachlan Roach said: “With over 300 stores in eight countries across the globe, it will be no surprise that we have been wanting to make our entrance to the English market for a while.

“The opportunity we had to open in a key national destination like Merry Hill was not one to miss, and it makes for the perfect home for our flagship location.”

Represent, Manchester

Streetwear brand Represent opened the doors to its first UK store in its hometown of Manchester in October, following a period of mass growth.

The 5,419 sq ft unit on New Cathedral Street in Manchester City Centre is the first permanent standalone retail space for the brand in the UK after opening a bespoke boutique store in West Hollywood, Los Angeles earlier this year.

An entire floor of the store is dedicated to Represent’s performance wear division, 247 by Represent, which the company said is “now the fastest growing arm of the brand”.

Founded in Manchester in 2011 by brothers George and Michael Heaton, Represent sales have grown at an average of 81.4% over the past 3 years. Until this year, the streetwear brand had been an online business selling via its website, however, it did sell through Selfridges, Harrods, and End Clothing.

George Heaton said: “The Represent Manchester location marks an important and iconic milestone for the brand; having spent the past three years planning physical retail footprints, trialling the senses of energy, look, feel, and scent through our partners such as Selfridges and Harrods along the process.”

Uniqlo, Kings Cross

Uniqlo opened its new Coal Drops Yard flagship in September, featuring interactive elements for all the family to enjoy.

Located inside a grade II listed Victorian coal drops shed, the space was redesigned by British interior design and architecture studio Heatherwick Studio to highlight the space’s industrial Victorian heritage, including exposed brick walls and wooden beams.

The 9,000 sq ft store houses the retailer’s Uniqlo Studio on the second floor, where shoppers can recycle, repair or remake garments so they can keep wearing them for longer.

The Coal Drops Yard location is also the first in the UK to trial the retailer’s mobile repair and customisation stations that can be wheeled around the store and its adjoining outdoor terrace, which also houses a custom-made ping pong tables for the public to use.

The Japanese retailer tapped British artist Pref to create an art mural within the store, which takes inspiration from the retailer’s Made For All philosophy in his classic typography style.

Frasers, Meadowhall

The same month saw Frasers Group open to its latest Frasers flagship as it continues to phase out its House of Fraser brand.

The 100,000 sq ft “next-generation” department store cover two floors, housing men’s and womenswear, kids, beauty, footwear and homeware.

The ground floor space stocks brands including Ganni, Rains, Nobody’s Child, as well as shoes and accessories labels Ugg, Longchamp and Coach.

Frasers Meadowhall features a smaller beauty hall taking into account the Flannels store located nearby and the group’s first food-to-go partner, Pret-a-Manger, which is located by the entrance.

The first floor of the flagship features Sports Direct’s newly launched outdoor concept, as well as it’s running section, which includes a running gait analysis machine to help consumers find the right product for their running journey.

Sports Direct Meadowhall will also offer the new Nike Football department, the second time this concept has been launched within the retailer, the first being at its London flagship.

Waitrose John Barnes, Finchley Road

Waitrose opened the doors its newly refurbished John Barnes supermarket in North London in August as part of a £1bn investment into revamping its store estate.

The premium grocer expanded its fresh produce department, upgraded its meat, fish and cheese service counters to include a dedicated parmesan section and a second dry aged beef cabinet, and installed its first-ever chilled wine department.

The grocer also spotlighted its growing number of third-party partners within the store, with a Gail’s freshly baked display, cabinets stocked with its exclusive Crosstown doughnuts tie-up, and a Caffè Nero coffee stand.

Waitrose John Barnes also features a new upgraded service desk that was moved to the back of the store, and the first-ever delivery hatch to help the supermarket facilitate on-demand grocery outside of its store opening hours.

The supermarket’s executive director James Bailey said: “The transformation of our Finchley Road store marks the next evolution of our journey to create a great shopping experience for our customers, underpinned by a high-quality product offering tailored to the local area, and the quality service we are synonymous with.”

Gymshark, Westfield Stratford

Gymshark unveiled its highly-anticipated second UK store in the summer following the success of its flagship on London’s Regent Street.

The activewear giant moved into a 7,000 sq ft unit in Westfield Stratford City, which will house specific events in the space – from athlete meet and greets to activations.

All the mannequins used in store have been modelled on 3D renderings of real-life Gymshark consumers with varying body types.

Founder and CEO Ben Francis said: “It’s a slightly different shopping experience to Regent Street. This is a smaller, more shopping focused and more product focused space.”

Nike Rise, Leeds

Nike opened its third UK ‘Nike Rise’ concept store earlier this year at the former Victoria’s Secret site in Trinity Leeds shopping centre.

The flagship, measuring 10,000 sq ft, uses innovative digital experiences and services aimed to “enliven the sporting pulse of the city”.

The store also features a digitally powered “Footwear Fastlane” where footwear product information and stories will be shared with shoppers, as well as the brand’s personalisation service “Nike by You”.

Trinity Leeds centre director Steven Foster said: “It’s incredibly exciting to welcome Nike Rise to Trinity Leeds, offering a first-of-its-kind retail concept with a unique digital experience to help people connect with sport in Leeds, and the local sporting community.

“The launch of Nike Rise – the brand’s only concept store in the region – comes during a particularly exciting time for Trinity Leeds, as we gear up to welcome more big-name brands in the coming months.”

Sports Direct, Cardiff

Sports Direct kicked off the year by opening the doors to its fourth flagship in Cardiff.

The 60,000sq ft store was the first to debut the retailer’s new outdoor concept, which includes a terrain tester, weighted bags, a lacing and packing guide.

Spread over three floors, Sports Direct Cardiff also houses several specialist sporting areas for football, rugby and running, as well as dedicated areas for Game, USC and Evans Cycles.

Frasers Group managing director of Sport Ger Wright said: “As we continue to elevate our unique proposition, the opening of our new Cardiff flagship store marks the launch of our eagerly anticipated new outdoor category concept as it continues to be a growing area of interest for our consumers.

“As the appetite for outdoor adventurers increases, we want to provide our consumers with an unrivalled retail experience through trail running, trekking, hiking and beyond.

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The Royal Warrant is a mark of recognition to companies who have regularly supplied the Royal Household for at least five years.

The retailer‘s executive director Peter Ruis said: “It’s a proud moment to be recognised by His Majesty with his Royal Warrant.

“For 160 years, we’ve been focused on offering excellent customer service and the highest quality products, and the Royal Warrant is testament to the hard work of partners across John Lewis and our suppliers.”

The announcement also reflects John Lewis’ ongoing commitment to supporting its local communities, whilst also championing high environmental standards.

• Related Story

  • 

    Best of 2024: Never Knowingly Undersold is back – and so is John Lewis

    27/12/2024 x 9:00 AM

Back in May, His Majesty granted Waitrose his Royal Warrant of Appointment as Grocers and Wine & Spirit Merchants.

With Christmas approaching, John Lewis is taking on an additional 12,500 staff members ahead of the Christmas period, forming its largest ever seasonal recruitment drive.

The partnership, which recently opened its Christmas shops across 35 stores, is recruiting an extra 4,100 new jobs across Waitrose, John Lewis and its distribution network compared to last year, as it said shopper numbers had hit record levels and it “doubles down on its commitment to customer experience”.

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According to the department store chain’s annual ‘How We Shop, Live and Look’ trend report, the Oura Ring was the “ultimate status symbol” 2024 as one in every two rings John Lewis sells is an Oura, making it the biggest tech product of the year.

Dehumidifiers continued to prove popular thanks to the UK’s persistent wet weather, with sales up 22%.

When the sun did come out to shine, shoppers favoured large, decorative ice moulds, pushing sales up 88%, instead of standard old-school ice cube trays as sales fell 39%.

Brits also became more skin conscious, as shoppers favoured SPF50 creams (up 18%) over sun factor 30 lotions (down 20%).

Sales of hair masks, hair oils and hair gloss have all shot up, climbing 33% on last year, while demand for body creams jumped 25%.

John Lewis said Sol de Janeiro’s Bum Bum cream, which arrived on its shelves in February, was the most successful beauty launch in its history.

Cut out swimsuits and barrel leg jeans were the top fashion trends at John Lewis, while small bags fell out of favour.

Searches for barrel leg jeans on JohnLewis.com were up 60% on last year and were the best-selling jean shape for autumn/ winter 2024.

John Lewis credited the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals behind the 30% jump in sales for quilted throws and similar demand for silk bedding.

Sales of curtain tiebacks more than doubled (up 108%), while chrome fittings fell 8% over the last year as customers opt for brass accessories.

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The pop-up has been designed to replicate travel trunks that have sprung open to reveal various items from the luxury department store, with a hot air balloon hovering in the centre of the space.

The display features products including the brand’s tea blends, like Royal Blend, and Fortnum’s Sparkling Tea, as well as its Lossus biscuit range alongside a host of its other biscuits, preserves and sweet treats.

Product samplings are also scheduled to take place every day, with a constantly changing offer.

The retailer is providing product personalisation of its Champagne and Sparkling Tea ranges, while gift boxes with digital gift messaging that allows customers to record a video message that is shared with the recipient are also available.

The pop-up marks the 10th anniversary of the brand’s first Heathrow location in Terminal 5 and will be in place until September 2025.

It comes after Fortnum & Mason launched a takeaway coffee counter at its flagship on London’s Piccadilly in August, offering a selection of teas as well as hot and iced coffees.

In July, it also rolled out a new subscription delivery service as it sought to “bring unbridled Fortnum’s joy into peoples homes”.

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Hires

Allan Leighton, executive chair, Asda

Former Asda boss Allan Leighton returned to the supermarket this month as its executive chair to head up its recovery efforts.

Leighton succeeds Lord Rose, who will remain on the board “to ensure an orderly transition before stepping down”.

It’s not Leighton’s first time turning around the grocer after he, alongside current M&S chair Archie Norman, spearheaded Asda’s recovery in the late 1990s and helped orchestrate its sale to Walmart.

He told the supermarket’s employees earlier this month that he expects the turnaround efforts to take “three to five years” as he looks to “restore Asda’s DNA”, including making improvements to price and availability, and hiring a new CEO.

Jason Tarry, chair, John Lewis Partnership

Tesco veteran Jason Tarry joined the John Lewis Partnership to replace Dame Sharon White as chair in September.

Tarry, who spent more than 33 years at Britain’s largest grocer, stepped down as Tesco’s UK and Ireland chief executive in October last year.

He has been tasked with leading the “next phase of modernisation” at John Lewis as it looks to rebuild and turnaround the business after being hit hard during the pandemic with losses deepening to as much as £234m – something that’s he’s credited with doing at Tesco.

Peter Ruis, executive director, John Lewis

John Lewis veteran Peter Ruis returned to the department store as its executive director at the start of the year after a 10-year absence.

Ruis, who was the department store’s previous fashion boss, has made quite the mark during his first year as he brought back the retailer’s famous Never Knowingly Undersold price promise.

He’s also been busy rolling out new store fits and changes across the estate under a multi-million pound investment as part of his commitment to make John Lewis “even more special”.

Paula Nickolds, CEO, The White Company

Nickolds was announced as successor to longstanding CEO of the The White Company, Mary Homer, in January. The former John Lewis managing director joined the retailer from Sainsbury’s, where she had served as general merchandise commercial director.

Nickolds was described by The White Company’s founder Chrissie Rucker OBE as “a passionate, values-driven leader who brings with her a wealth of retail experience across lifestyle, home and fashion” who would helm The White Company in its “next phase of evolvement and growth”.

Dan Finley, CEO, Boohoo Group

Debenhams boss Dan Finley has certainly made a positive impression at Boohoo as he was promoted to the role of chief executive of the group last month.

Finley, who joined the retailer in 2022, has been busy transforming the former high street department store chain into a “stock-light, capital-light and highly profitable” online marketplace.

Boohoo bosses are hoping Finley can work his magic for the fashion etail group, which has been racking up steep losses in recent years. It revealed last month that its half-year losses had tripled to £147.3m in the six months to end of August.

Finley’s new role has not been entirely smooth sailing as the appointment further riled up disgruntled Boohoo shareholder Mike Ashley, who labelled the move as “desperate”. Ashley has since mounted an offense on Boohoo’s group management, and will attempt to install himself on Boohoo’s board in a shareholder vote at Boohoo’s general meeting later this month.

Anthony Hemmerdinger, UK and Ireland managing director, Boots

Boots promoted retail and operations director Anthony Hemmerdinger as its new CEO after Seb James resigned from the post.

Hemmerdinger, who has also worked at Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S, is credited with spearheading Boots’ significant beauty re-fit and brand expansion programme across the company’s stores.

The retailer said he has been “instrumental” in the delivery of its enhanced healthcare and beauty services in-store.

Matthew Barnes, UK CEO, Tesco

Former Aldi boss Matthew Barnes headed over to Britain’s largest grocer in March to head up its UK businesses.

The new Tesco chief executive has held several senior positions at Aldi during his 27 years at the discounter, including its UK and Ireland CEO, before being promoted to Aldi Sud’s executive board where he was responsible for many of the supermarket’s international businesses and its global sourcing, buying and supply chain.

Julia Goddard, CEO, Harvey Nichols

New Harvey Nichols chief executive Julia Goddard joined the department store chain in July.

Goddard joined from Alexander McQueen, where she spent 13 years at the luxury brand, most recently as EMEA president.

The department store has lost its way in recent years and owners the Poon family will hope that Goddard’s track record of delivering quality growth and successfully developing and executing a Very Important Customer clienteling strategy will help to breath new life into the business.

Goddard has made a number of high profile appointments since joining, including appointing stylist and former Topshop director Kate Phelan to the newly created role of creative director and poaching YNAP buying director Kate Benson as chief merchant.

Joshua Schulman, CEO, Burberry

Burberry parachuted in ex-Michael Kors boss Joshua Schulman as its new chief executive in July to replace Jonathan Akeroyd, who stepped down “by mutual agreement with the board”.

The luxury fashion house is banking on Schulman’s history of driving transformative growth and value creation as CEO of global luxury, fashion, and retail businesses after it plunged to a loss of £41m in the six months to 28 September, down from the £223m profit it recorded the year before.

“Burberry’s original purpose to design clothing that protects people from the weather is more relevant than ever,” Schulman said last month when he unveiled his turnaround plan for the business.

“Our recent underperformance has stemmed from several factors, including inconsistent brand execution and a lack of focus on our core outerwear category and our core customer segments. Today, we are acting with urgency to course correct, stabilise the business and position Burberry for a return to sustainable, profitable growth.

Lysa Hardy, CEO, Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat promoted its UK managing director and group marketing officer Lysa Hardy to the position of CEO in September.

It came as co-founder Angus Thirlwell moved to the role of president after the brand agreed a takeover by confectionery giant Mars in November last year in a deal that valued it at £534m.

Hardy is credited with helping to double the size of the retailer’s UK business in five years, and created the Velvetiser Hot Chocolate category.

She was previously a non-executive at Superdry until July this year, and had held senior positions in Joules and Holland & Barrett.

Exits

Jo Whitfield, CEO, Matalan

Matalan kicked off its search for its next chief executive in October following Jo Whitfield’s abrupt departure.

Whitfield, who joined the fashion and home chain just over 18 months ago, stepped down to “pursue a portfolio career”.

Under her helm, the retailer said it made “significant progress” in its turnaround strategy including the reshuffling its top team and re-establishment of its “value credentials”.

Whitfield said: “We have reset the business foundations against a very challenging backdrop, have improved profitability in the first year and developed a strategy to take the business forward.

“Now feels the right time to pass the baton as the next phase of the transformation continues. I am confident that Matalan will continue to thrive and I wish my colleagues and leadership team every success for the future.”

The retailer’s chair Karl-Heinz Holland will act as executive chair until a successor is hired.

Mohsin Issa, Asda

Asda co-owner Mohsin Issa announced he was stepping back from his executive leadership role at the supermarket in September to focus on his chief executive position at forecourt giant EG Group.

Issa joined the grocer in 2020 after him and his brother, Zuber Issa, snapped up the business from Walmart in a £6.8bn deal.

His departure came a month after Asda’s then chair Lord Rose told The Telegraph that he was “embarrassed” by the business’ weak performance and believes that co-owner Mohsin Issa should step back from running the supermarket.

“We always said Mohsin was a particular horse for a particular course. He is a disrupter, an entrepreneur, he is an agitator,” Rose said.

“We’ve added a significant number of stores and we’ve changed a lot but it now needs a different animal. In the nicest possible way, Mohsin’s work is largely complete.”

Issa’s tenure at Asda has been highly scrutinised and the billionaire owner admitted to providing inaccurate information to MPs about the intricate offshore ownership structure known as ‘Bellis’ that they established for Asda when he was quizzed late last year.

Seb James, UK MD, Boots

Vocal Boots boss Seb James stepped back from the health and beauty chain in November after accepting a position as group CEO of Veonet, one of Europe’s largest chains of ophthalmology clinics.

James is credited with helping to reinvent the retailer’s beauty business, bringing in hundreds of new brands, re-fitting beauty halls across the UK and employing more specialist beauty advisers, as well as expanding its pharmacy practice to offer over 160 healthcare services for both private and NHS patients.

The former boss has spoken out about the challenges the NHS faces in the UK and previously admitted that his team plotted to make Sephora’s return to the UK a failure.

“Our whole team lent into the idea of making that [store] launch a disaster. As a result a whole flock of new customers came to Boots.

“We grew 85% in a year and the general message going around the store was ‘up yours Sephora’ and that felt very, very good,” he said.

James insisted his exit from Boots was not related to owner Walgreens’ decision to shelve its plans for a multibillion-pound sale of the UK business.

John Edgar, CEO, Fenwick

Fenwick announced in July that its chief executive John Edgar was stepping down and would be replaced by department store veteran Nigel Blow.

The retailer’s chair Sian Westerman said at the time: “John Edgar is stepping down as CEO as part of a reorganisation of our executive leadership team and wider changes to the management structure of the company.

“John has successfully steered the business through the Covid-19 pandemic, launched our online proposition, enhanced and expanded our restaurant business, focused on the development of key stores, including a masterplan project in Newcastle and significant improvements to the Kingston store.”

However, it was revealed in October that Blow, a former Harrods executive, would no longer be taking up the position after reports emerged of multiple sexual assault and rape allegations made against Harrods’ previous owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

Blow quickly spoke out, stating that Fenwick had withdrawn its offer two weeks before he was meant to start following the news.

“Fenwick announced my appointment on 30 July. I was very excited to join Fenwick and take on the significant challenge of turning the business around to profitability after a run of poor, loss-making, results in recent years,” said Blow.

“Like many others, I watched the recent BBC documentary about [former Harrods owner Mohamed] Al Fayed’s behaviour with absolute horror. I do not know and have never met any of the women who bravely spoke about the grooming, sexual assaults, and rapes they endured.”

James Timpson, CEO, Timpson

Timpson boss James Timpson was named as the new minister for prisons, parole and probation this summer following Labour’s win in the general election.

Shortly after, the chief executive announced he was temporarily stepping back from the cobbler to focus on his new role.

He has employed more than 600 former prisoners across the retailer’s branches throughout the UK and previously served as chair of the Employers Forum for reducing re-offending until 2016. He was appointed as chair of the Prison Reform Trust later the same year.

Timpson’s father Sir John Timpson is working alongside Paresh Majithia, who became the business’ acting group managing director to oversee James’ responsibilities.

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Staff at the London department store, who are represented by UVW, said they had no option but to vote for a strike as the store’s management “refuses to recognise or engage with their union for negotiations”.

They will strike from 8pm on Friday 20 December to 9.30pm on Sunday 22 December, and from 12am to 9.30pm on Thursday 26 December, The Guardian reported.

The independent union said 95% of its members at the Knightsbridge store had voted in favour of strike action as “Harrods’ management continued to ignore their demands and refused to engage or even recognise the workers’ union”.

The union added that workers’ “pay and conditions have deteriorated, even as the company rewards its owners and top executives with exorbitant payouts”.

The dispute arises from longstanding concerns over low pay, staff shortages, and excessive workloads. Workers claim management has repeatedly refused to engage with UVW to resolve their grievances, leaving them no choice but to pursue strike action.

Adding to frustrations, employees have been denied a Christmas bonus, as Harrods’ owners pocketed £180m in dividends last year. Meanwhile, the retailer’s managing director received a £2.1m salary, despite staff wages remaining stagnant.

A spokesperson for Harrods told The Guardian: “At Harrods we recognise the enormous contribution of our colleagues, particularly at busy trading periods such as Christmas … We are committed to working with our colleagues directly to address concerns, as we have been to date, and continue our constructive relationship with our recognised unions on pay and benefits.”

While a statement from the UVW said: “The potential strikes come in response to rising grievances, particularly over staff shortages and overwork, guarantees on fair pay rises in line with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, scrapping the cover charge in restaurants and the need for transparency over the distribution of service charge.

“Many benefits, like the Christmas bonuses and voluntary bank holiday work for cleaning staff, have been whittled away, while the world-famous luxury London store handed out £180m in bonuses to its owners and awarded a £2.1m salary to its managing director.”

The union said workers are calling for an above-inflation pay rise and the introduction of an annual Christmas bonus starting with £500 this year. The union says some workers receive a £50 voucher to spend in Harrods, which it claims is not easy to use.

They also want an end to mandatory bank holiday working for cleaners and the practice of “forcing” part-time cleaners to work nine days straight, as well as greater transparency  of the service charge, with monthly reporting and an end to the cover charge, or distributing it entirely to employees working in restaurants and kitchens.

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In his first interview since the 2021 purchase, Chirathivat told the Financial Times the price was “high” in hindsight.

“You would want the lowest price possible to buy something… is £4bn high? Yes, it’s high, especially in this environment,” he explained.

But he suggested the investment might prove worthwhile in the long term: “Maybe 10 years from now it won’t be too high, but if you ask today, then of course it’s too high.”

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Central Group, which also owns De Bijenkorf in the Netherlands, and Brown Thomas and Arnotts in Ireland, became the majority owner of Selfridges through its acquisition from the Weston family. However, the deal has not been without its challenges. Its partner Signa Holding, which co-invested in the purchase, collapsed at the end of 2023.

Chirathivat said that Central had not been aware of Signa’s dealings with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which led to PIF increasing its stake in the retailer to 40%. “He only told us later when it was done… that he sold part of it to the PIF,” Chirathivat revealed.

Despite the setbacks, Central is focused on revamping Selfridges, particularly its flagship store on Oxford Street, with plans to enhance the six-floor space with new products, services, and more luxury brands.

“We have three good floors [of six]… we are working to improve every area,” Chirathivat said.

“The grand plan for Selfridges is to become the best store in the world. Right now, it’s probably in the top five.”

To lead this transformation, Central appointed André Maeder who joined in May, as CEO of Selfridges Group. Chirathivat remained optimistic about the future and told the FT “We can do a lot more.”

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Benson joins from YNAP, where she has spent the last seven years in its buying teams and most recently held the position of buying director.

The department store chain said Benson has a “proven capability of designing and delivering on elevated product strategies” and has strong relationships with several luxury brands.

Harvey Nichols chief executive Julia Goddard said: “Kate’s deep understanding of the global luxury and fashion market makes her a respected leader to further evolve our buying strategy at Harvey Nichols.

“Her expertise built through previous senior roles will be instrumental in enhancing the customer experience and driving the growth of the business. We are thrilled to welcome her at a pivotal time in the luxury and fashion space.”

Benson added: “Joining Harvey Nichols Leadership Team at such an exciting time is a fantastic opportunity.

“With the brand’s vision for growth and innovation, I’m eager to contribute my experience to shape the business’ buying strategy, build strong partnerships and deliver exceptional customer experiences.”

Benson’s appointment follows Harvey Nichols’ hire of stylist and former Topshop director Kate Phelan to the newly created role of creative director at the start of last month.

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The first five Caffè Nero cafés, which combine the chain’s coffee with Waitrose’s food offering and are run by specially trained Waitrose Partners, have been introduced at Waitrose locations in Billericay, Godalming, Keynsham, Locks Heath, and Stroud.

A standalone Caffè Nero café is also set to open at the John Lewis store in White City, West London, offering a full Caffè Nero menu with drinks, deli food, and baristas

The move builds on a partnership that began in 2021, initially offering free hot drinks to My Waitrose loyalty card holders.

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Waitrose had previously discontinued the free coffee offer in 2018, but it was reintroduced due to customer demand. Now, free hot drink machines are available in 320 Waitrose stores, with nearly 25 million drinks dispensed since the program’s relaunch.

As part of the new café concept customers will be served free coffee by baristas, which differs from the previous free coffee offer.

The retail giant said the cafés aim to offer an enhanced customer experience, providing an opportunity for shoppers to relax with their drink and enjoy a snack or meal.

Waitrose commercial director Charlotte Di Cello told the Times: “Our stores are hubs for local communities across the country and we know our customers love to have the option of enjoying a coffee, snack or meal after their shop.”

Caffè Nero UK CEO Will Stratton-Morris added that the the collaboration was a “perfect pairing” and said: “There is still so much scope for our partnership to continue to grow.”

The expansion into cafés aligns with John Lewis Partnership’s broader recovery strategy to enhance customer service and re-establish itself as a leading retail brand. It reported a 2% year-on-year rise in sales to £5.9bn for the first half of the year and anticipates a higher full-year profit than the £42m reported last year.

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