By engaging our stakeholders, we can find new ways to reduce our impacts, balance business efficiency with economic success and, ultimately, continue to make the John Lewis Partnership more competitive, profitable and sustainable.
Employees (Partners)
At the John Lewis Partnership, employees are called Partners, as they are all co-owners of the business, share in its success and have a real say in how it is run.
As a democratic business, we share the details of all our major business decisions with Partners and actively engage with them through councils, forums and committees at a local, divisional and Partnership level, and hold AGMs and other meetings. Our team of Registrars also help Partners to understand and act on their responsibilities.
The Partnership has a number of online communication channels and publications that keep Partners abreast of business developments, but also play an important role in promoting democracy. Our company-wide weekly publication, the Gazette, was set up by our founder both to communicate news to Partners and to give them a forum for airing their views. To this day, Partners can write in to the Gazette anonymously if they wish, on any matter.
We also carry out an annual Partner survey which helps us to create a working environment where everyone feels valued and can reach their potential. Read more in Our employees.
Find out more about our democratic bodies.
Customers
By offering our customers outstanding choice, value and service, and by being honest with them, we aim to earn their trust and loyalty. We are always working to raise our standards of service and keep our customers happy. That is why we do our best to encourage feedback through customer surveys, panels, focus groups and online feedback forms. Find out more about what our customers say and how we respond in Our customers.
Suppliers
Our relationships with suppliers, like those with our customers, are based on honesty, fairness and courtesy. It is especially important to us that we help them to build sustainable businesses and provide long-term, satisfying employment.
Over and above our day-to-day communications, we engage with our suppliers through conferences, forums, workshops, partnered projects and dedicated online supplier data exchanges. Find out more about how we work with our suppliers.
Local communities
We actively consult and engage with local communities to understand and manage the social, economic and environmental impact of our operations. We also commit to making a positive difference to the communities where we do business.
We are actively involved with local communities, not just through donating money and providing support and assistance, but by talking with local communities, understanding their needs and issues and recognising our potential impact on localities and our ability to help. We offer opportunities for Partners to volunteer their time and get involved in local events and activities. By building stronger relationships with local community organisations, we develop and promote our reputation as a responsible business and an employer of distinction.
Read more about our approach in Our community.
Government, NGOs and other stakeholders
By working with governments and regulators, we can raise awareness of our business' unique nature and provide a considered view on issues that impact our business and its stakeholders.
We work proactively with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), campaign groups, consumer associations and many other organisations, on issues relevant to our business operations or principles, to help us define our CSR policies and programmes, and actively participate in industry groups and forums promoting the CSR agenda. Examples include our work with Greenpeace on sustainable fish and sustainable timber; the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; and Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).
The Partnership is a member of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the UK's leading trade association for the retail industry and also works with charities such as Business in the Community.
Find out more
Take a look at our stakeholder engagement activity and outcomes in our latest CSR Report.
We work with a range of organisations, industry groups and forums to define and develop our policies and programmes. Read more about these associations.
Have your say
Tell us what CSR issues concern you the most, find out more about our policies and programmes, or tell us what you think about this website by contacting our CSR team.