John Lewis in Trouble

[TrainedByCatsToBeScathing]

John Lewis are struggling, even the Waitrose side of things. 11,000 out of a workforce of 80,000 is a lot, I’m sad for their mostly female sales force and there’s many reasons for their problems particularly with them not adapting quickly to the challenge from online sales.

However I was a very regular shopper in my local John Lewis and I stopped completely after their patronising offensive response to my query about single sex changing rooms a few years ago. I’d buy furniture, white goods, kitchenware, electronics, carpet, clothes, toys, haberdashery, cosmetics, shoes even jewellery (I was shocked when I realised how much I defaulted to John Lewis as it took a little while to switch to alternatives some of my loyalty was convenience). Obviously I’m just one shopper but it never seemed a good idea to piss off loyal customers as when trading conditions are challenging you need those customers even more.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13082653/John-Lewis-threatens-staff-disciplinary-action-unacceptable-comments-internal-intranet-retail-giant-considers-cutting-11-000-jobs-bid-recover-230m-losses.html

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’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.

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.

They didnt bid enough and M&S did

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 thought Ocado wouldn’t dump them but in the end they were happy to go with the highest bidder.

I don’t think it was a great move for Ocado because although they gained more customers with the M&S offering, the average basket spend decreased and with it profitability. I’d assume the new M&S shoppers weren’t the large family shoppers who are the most profitable for any supermarket.

Presumably the "gender equality" network supports the eradication of single sex changing rooms / toilets in stores? With any women participants bullied into submission?

And presumably the BAME network supports the eradication of single sex changing rooms / toilets in stores? With any women participants from backgrounds for whom this makes work a hostile or unacceptable environment bullied into submission or forced out or unable to access employment?

Bloody hell, just catching up with all this.

x.com/safeschools_uk/status/1758642067138564243?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

They really are stupid, if they don't realise that most people just want a decent assistant and not somebody pushing a trans, or fetish agenda. Just wear the uniform and do your job, for God's sake! Their business is circling the drain and they've decided to piss customers off even more driving them away.

It's utterly bonkers.

Tristan says: 'My identity is just who I am. It doesn't define me as a person.'

🤔

Agreed - M&S really have quietly upped their game over the last couple of years and I’m shopping there more and more.

They just move into another job though. It seems once you get to a certain level of seniority, you can always get another job.

We had two directors in my large public sector employer who were forced to resign for badly not delivering. The reason they resigned will be an open secret in their field. They both still quickly got high paying senior jobs elsewhere.

[he].. “can often be found subjecting them [his team] to his sharp wit and sarcasm!”

This is a weird thing to put in a profile, it makes Tristan sound like a bit of a bully to his team.

Sorry, but I don't feel I would be seeking out Tristan for any kind of nursery ware or starting a family advice.

Sharon, if you're reading this, please bring back fabulous, experienced, wise and wonderful older women to these important roles. And give them due respect and a quality uniform so that we are able to spot them on the shop floor.

But for now, am joining the boycott.

Tristan says: 'My identity is just who I am. It doesn't define me as a person.' What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Literal word salad.

I presume Tristan is not wearing his fetishwear to work? And if he isn't, why is he doing so in the work-related magazine? Honestly, what is going on here?

Very mixed experiences at our JLP. When I went to buy a camera last year, the help was fabulous, a very knowledgeable woman gave me details of the options, including ones they didn't sell, without being the slightest bit patronising. But it was a rare experience in the last few years. Yesterday, we went to buy an iPad. Could we find anyone to help? There were 2 assistants helping one person, and the rest hiding at the back of the store chatting to each other. Not impressed.

Went to get new sewing machine. Not a single salesperson available for advice. Took my business elsewhere in the end