John Lewis Partnership posts PS88 million loss
John Lewis Partnership—the group behind John Lewis stores and Waitrose supermarkets—just posted a loss of £88 million for the first half of 2025, almost three times last year's loss.
The jump is mostly down to restructuring costs, along with higher costs from new packaging rules and increased national insurance.
Sales actually grew by 4%
Even with these bigger losses, sales actually grew by 4%, hitting £6.2 billion.
Waitrose led the way with a 6% bump, while John Lewis stores saw a modest 2% rise.
The company says it managed to outperform the market despite the rocky economy.
John Lewis is revamping stores and service
John Lewis pumped £191 million into revamping stores and improving service, plus brought back its "never knowingly undersold" promise.
They've tweaked staff hours to match busy shopping times and brought in extra team members funded by fashion brands.
Starting in February, Topshop will launch in 32 John Lewis locations as its only UK high street home—an obvious move to draw younger shoppers.
Despite challenges, they're staying positive about turning things around this year.