John Lewis turns to Tesco for new brand and experience boss Paul Jones

Paul Jones will start working at John Lewis in January and will be tasked with “developing the next evolution of John Lewis department stores”.

Jones, who spent 12 years at Tesco and was most recently head of brand, store design, will report to John Lewis Partnership customer director Charlotte Lock and will develop “the customer strategy of both the John Lewis and John Lewis Partnership brands by setting the strategic direction for future brand propositions, innovation and layouts” in John Lewis’ 34-shop estate.

Jones said: “This is an exciting opportunity to work with a talented, creative team and evolve the brand’s much-loved stores to give customers an inspiring retail experience that offers them even more of what they enjoy when visiting us.”

Lock said: “Our stores are where outstanding service, standout experiences and brilliant products come to life. Paul’s appointment underlines the role they continue to play within our omnichannel strategy – and more crucially their importance to our customers.

“Paul brings invaluable experience and will further energise our ambition to make every shopping experience fun, easy and rewarding for our customers.”

In September, John Lewis reported that store sales were up 2% at the interim stage, “driven by increased footfall and the draw of services such as personal styling appointments, beauty services and nursery consultations”.

The retailer has been testing a range of initiatives in some stores, including John Lewis Horsham which was “transformed into a one-stop destination for fashion, beauty, tech and home design”.