Our strategy

The Partnership's reputation is founded on the uniqueness of our ownership structure and our commercial success. Our purpose is 'the happiness of all our members, through their worthwhile, satisfying employment in a successful business', with success measured on our ability to sustain and enhance our position both as an outstanding retailer and as a thriving example of employee ownership.
Mike Carpenter, Waitrose Canary Wharf with a customer
Mike Carpenter, Waitrose Canary Wharf

Our strategy is based on three interdependent objectives Partners, customers, profit which together will make us a successful business:

  • Partners should gain personal satisfaction by being members of a co-owned enterprise in which they have worthwhile, secure and fulfilling employment and confidence in the way the Partnership conducts ts business.

 

  • The Partnership should recruit and retain loyal customers through their continued trust and confidence in our reputation for value, choice, service and honesty and for behaving as good citizens.

 

  • The Partnership should make sufficient profit to sustain our commercial vitality and distinctive character, allow continued development and distribute a share of profits each year consistent with Partners' reasonable expectations.

These objectives build on the advantages of our co-ownership structure and demand an appetite for continuous improvement, innovation and enterprise to maintain the vigour of our commercial and democratic capability. They also require the highest levels of corporate governance through effective Audit, Corporate Social Responsibility and Risk Committees.

Achieving our three objectives requires us to demonstrate the benefits of co-ownership and the behaviours that differentiate us. Our ability to compete against and outperform conventional companies will be the most important illustration of the effectiveness of our approach to business.

Related

  • Weekly figures
    Weekly sales figures for the Partnership, John Lewis and Waitrose.

  • Our customers
    We aim to deal honestly with customers, securing their trust by providing outstanding choice, value and service.

  • Our Commitments
    John Spedan Lewis gave the Partnership to his employees in 1929 with an ultimate purpose to balance the happiness of Partners with a successful business.