{"id":166880,"date":"2020-07-10T08:35:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T08:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/sharon-whites-radicalism-at-john-lewis-is-sorely-needed\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T12:06:29","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T12:06:29","slug":"sharon-whites-radicalism-at-john-lewis-is-sorely-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/sharon-whites-radicalism-at-john-lewis-is-sorely-needed\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharon White's radicalism at John Lewis is sorely needed"},"content":{"rendered":"
Department stores have been in decline for years; the rise of online retailing is relentless; and the pandemic is accelerating shopping trends. Even so, John Lewis\u2019s plan to close a supposedly flagship store in the centre of Birmingham \u2013 opened as recently as 2015 \u2013 was a shocker on another bleak day for retailing jobs. If the UK\u2019s best operator of department stores can\u2019t see a way to make money from modern premises in the country\u2019s second largest city, where can it?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There was also an intriguing subplot to the tale. The Birmingham opening was a proud venture of Andy Street, managing director of the John Lewis\u00a0chain at the time but these days mayor of the West Midlands. Closure \u201crisks being a dreadful mistake\u201d, said Street, implicitly criticising his successors at the partnership.<\/p>\n