Paula Nickolds is set to exit the John Lewis Partnership following the announcement of disappointing sales figures, just weeks before she was due to start as head of brand for both John Lewis and Waitrose. “Paula has been with the Partnership for 25 years and has been an outstanding Partner and leader throughout her time. After some reflection on the responsibilities of her proposed new role, we have decided together that the implementation of the Future Partnership structure in February is the right time for her to move on,” the company announced this week.
Gross sales at the John Lewis Partnership were down 1.8% versus last year to £2,167m, with John Lewis & Partners gross sales down 2.0% on a like-for-like basis while Waitrose & Partners gross sales (excluding fuel) were up 0.4% on a like-for-like basis. Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “At the full year, we expect profits in Waitrose & Partners to be broadly in line with last year. In John Lewis & Partners we will reverse the losses incurred in the first half of the year, but profits will be substantially down on last year. We therefore expect that Partnership profit before exceptionals will be significantly lower than last year.”
The Future Partnership plan was unveiled last October proposing the integration of both John Lewis and Waitrose teams under one new Executive team structure. The new structure will be in place from the start of February, when Sharon White will become the Partnership’s sixth Chairman.
