John Lewis to bolster buying and merchandising teams to “turbo-charge” transformation

John Lewis is in a consultation period until October 2024 as it proposes to re-establish buying and merchandising leadership roles across fashion and home, with the addition of 48 new positions.

While some current roles – earmarked as "less than 20" - may be lost, it is all part of the transformation plan put in place by John Lewis Executive Director Peter Ruis, who returned to the business in 2024 after an 11-year absence.

Peter Ruis, John Lewis Executive Director.

Ruis previously spent eight years and nine months at John Lewis (between January 2005 and September 2013) as Executive Buying and Brand Director and was heavily involved in turning around the retailer’s fortunes then.

As well as improving the range of products John Lewis offers customers, with 80 news brands already introduced in 2024 and more to follow, the proposed investment and updated structure would help its staff (partners) – "allowing them to focus on their specific area of expertise, while providing clearer career progression".

A John Lewis spokesperson told TheIndustry.fashion: "As we look to turbo-charge our business and offer the best possible products to customers, we’ve proposed some changes to our buying and merchandising teams - including the creation of nearly 50 new roles.”