Waitrose is the food retail division of the John Lewis Partnership where it operates alongside – and increasingly in tandem – with John Lewis department stores. The partnership bought Waitrose in 1937.
Waitrose has a reputation for an upmarket food offer with a strong focus on product quality and provenance. Despite being seen by many as ‘expensive’, Waitrose has generally held its own as the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl in recent years has reshaped the grocery landscape.
As well as selling through stores, Waitrose sells online both through its own website and Ocado. The Ocado partnership is coming to an end following M&S’ creation of a joint venture with the online grocer. Waitrose sought to team up with one of Ocado’s founders to accelerate online growth, but the plan came to nothing after its partner was mired in controversy.
Waitrose stands at a crossroads as John Lewis Partnership goes through a radical restructure, under which both of its businesses will be run as one under a single leadership team.
Where does a passionate foodie go after ending a 17-year career at upmarket grocer Waitrose? The answer in the case of Rupert Thomas is an even more upmarket grocer in the form of Fortnum & Mason.
One would be forgiven for thinking British business was on the brink of collapse amid some of the headlines this morning.
John Lewis Partnership’s first full-year loss in its history revealed the scale of disruption affecting the retailer, particularly its eponymous department store division.
John Lewis plans to launch hundreds of shop-in-shops inside Waitrose stores and is also plotting a smaller “local” format as part of a radical overhaul of its portfolio.
The John Lewis Partnership has opened a new store-in-store at its Wallingford Waitrose supermarket, offering more than 700 products.
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