John Lewis has entered a recruitment drive in its IT division as invests in further improving its multichannel offer.

The department store will recruit up to 30 people in new roles in its IT department as part of a wider investment which will see the business take on over 50 IT specialists during 2012.

The retailer will fill various roles including project managers, business analysts, systems analysts and developers within the division to work as part of a 280-strong team.

John Lewis said investment in IT, which has increased three-fold in recent years, will help support the retailer’s aim to fully integrate its multichannel functions.  

John Lewis recruitment manager Owen Roberts said: “Technology has been identified as one of the most important drivers of our business growth.

“We are now looking for talented IT professionals to join our team and help us take multi-channel retail to the next level, cementing our reputation as an industry leader.”

Last week, John Lewis chairman Charlie Mayfield told The Cloud Retail Week Conference that retailers need to focus on the most profitable 20% of their customers.