John Lewis in Trouble

Yes, there's similar material and networks focussing on mental health, disability, gender equality and BAME

Doesn't fit the woke agenda though so no coverage in the DM.

They didnt bid enough and M&S did

I have no idea why they ditched Ocado, though.

It was always a bit of an odd set up because Waitrose delivered their own groceries and Ocado delivered them too. I suspect they went with Ocado before they had their own delivery service then, once it was up and running, really wanted to take it back “in house” but had to wait for their contract with Ocado to end.

i’m not a Waitrose shopper particularly (might pop in for the odd thing), but our local store is still decent and the staff are lovely. I have no idea why they ditched Ocado, though. That was such a great partnership.

There is a big JL near me, however, and it’s woeful. Really poor merchandising, hard to find things, some sections (toys, stationery, haberdashery) look like a closing down sale with hardly any stock and no staff to ask questions if you have a query.

My local Waitrose in a very chichi, ' sought after area of North London is anything but a high end shopping experience. It looks and feels cramped and dirty, often the stock levels are rubbish and the staff are uninterested or rude. It isn't attractively laid out, often one has to fight with those trolleys they use to stock up with but at really busy times of the day and only one cashier since they changed all of the tills to self-service they got rid of the 'pay with cash' option. There was a large Co-op store that closed late last year and that had more floor space and could have been turned into a really great Waitrose but instead, Sainsbury's got it and they just sell mostly pre-packaged crap and charge extra money because it is a 'Sainsbury's Local'. Waitrose and JL need to go back to basics with things like stock, customer service etc.

I’ve always adored JL! Mum and I would have a special trip to see the Christmas displays and buy a new “fancy decoration” every year. Mum has everything from there, from bedding to white goods. She gave up with them a year ago after an awful experience with a fridge and a rude customer service advisor. It feels like they just don’t want to listen to their customers or give us the experience that we have enjoyed and been happy to pay extra because we believed the quality was there. As other posters have said if you can’t get a basic pair of tights from a nice clean store then why bother? Oh and don’t get me started on the awful Christmas ads.

I think shops need to go back to basics and make customers feel valued. A day out shopping used to be something fun, now it's a chore.

I don't want to share changing rooms with men, but if I can't try something on then I won't buy it.
And I don't want to go into a changing room to find dusty floors and dirty mirrors, sales assistants think it's beneath them to wield a cloth.

Internet shopping isn't always convenient, I want to look at how something is made and what the fabric is like.

I miss shopping.

That's a shame for those working in boycotted stores.

But the former customers will take their custom to other stores, which may then take on more staff.

And CEOs of failing chains absolutely do lose their jobs.

All I would say to people boycotting brands is that it will never touch the senior management / directors who sign off campaigns. It affects the thousands of people who are on minimum wage or average wages like me.

Have they done similar publications to help their staff to work with people with mental health issues, or people who are physically disabled, or any other marginalised group who might need additional support?

I doubt it, as those causes don’t come with glittery plaudits and ascent to the moral high ground.

Does your plan involve setting up a SEEN staff network to support you all to fight this garbage? Good luck - I used to love JL.

Former civil servant, eh?

That explains a lot.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13091007/John-Lewis-boycott-trans-magazine-breast-binders-children.html

Now why in the world would they do this. Have they done similar publications to help their staff to work with people with mental health issues, or people who are physically disabled, or any other marginalised group who might need additional support? It would be a wonderful thing if they had, and I am willing to apologise if this is the case, but I have the feeling that once again we are seeing special circumstances applied to special people who have got a very loud and pushy following.

(sorry about the DM link for those who deny they never read it!)

Not sure where you get the pro GC, anti TRA stance from...

https://www.jamesesses.com/p/the-trans-takeover-of-john-lewis see also boy in girls' clothes trashing the house advert.

@SidewaysOtter

Spot on. White’s ethnicity is irrelevant. As it should be, of course. Her incompetence is relevant.

I don’t really care that White is a black woman. What I care about is that John Lewis appointed an ex-Civil Servant with no retailing experience to run their business and who appears to have fucked it up (hence why she’s leaving after such a short time at the helm).

Frankly it smacks of her being employed because she was a black woman rather than because she was the right person for the job. Which doesn’t help anyone.

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · Today 10:58

I think it's both. They hate a black woman who disagrees with them and is running a large company that is owned by employees and doesn't benefit any shareholders or fat cats.

That's an interesting take, which I hadn't considered.

I’m not surprised that they’ve outsourced their customer service. Still, it’s perhaps marginally better in the Philippines than their previous outsource to Capita, when it took six months to replace a freezer (which they dropped when it was delivered 🙄 )

I’ve had issues with items being underweight in Waitrose too - I submitted a complaint and got a rather uninterested apology along with my money back, which hardly felt worth the bother.

I also sent feedback about those stupid vouchers which always seem to be based on what I bought last week (hint: if I bought mustard last week I probably don’t need any more yet) or what they would like me to buy. Just reinstate the “choose your own vouchers” scheme, FFS.

I think it's both. They hate a black woman who disagrees with them and is running a large company that is owned by employees and doesn't benefit any shareholders or fat cats.

Nobody should be surprised by the problems at JL. This is what inevitably happens when a career bureaucrat is appointed as the boss of a major retailer.
Sharon White is neither a retailer nor a businesswoman. She took over at a difficult time, but she focused on the wrong things, implemented the wrong strategies and made a bad situation worse. Because she was completely clueless & hopelessly out of her depth.
In contrast, look at the impressive turnaround at M&S, which has vastly experienced professional retailers running the business.

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · Today 10:43

They hate Sharon White and some of their attacks are so personal and I really don't think they'd say the stuff they say if she was a white man. .....driven more by hatred of a successful black woman at the helm.

I didn't know that she's Black, it's an interesting point, but is that all that drives them? You must be aware of their general pro GC, anti TRA stance.

They seem to be very pro Kemi Badenoch, Baroness Warsi, Priti Patel and Suella Braverman.

https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/summary?s=45CR:LSE#:~:text=As%20of%20last%20trade%20John,set%20on%20Jan%2031%2C%202024.

It's a PLC

Whilst I'm GC and think the push to inclusion and diversity is a bit too skewed to teams at the moment I also think the demonisation of JL by the Telegraph and Daily Mail is disgusting and driven more by hatred of a successful black woman at the helm.

They hate Sharon White and some of their attacks are so personal and I really don't think they'd say the stuff they say if she was a white man.

I would hope FWR would at least see that rather than follow the anti woke culture war stuff.

I know it is right there, spend way too much time up on Oxford Street, but lost time in TK Maxx and was almost late for meeting a friend. But thanks for the Brixton tip.

Maerchentate - 7/8 minutes walk JL to M&S Marble Arch what a shame you didn’t realise and Marks&Spencer Pantheon at TCR 2 mins! walk from TK Maxx
Good luck on the hunt for plain, nude nylon socks.
Should you find yourself SOTR, Morleys department store opposite the tube in Brixton is famous for its tights/sock department, any colour you can conjure.