Speaking your language

Monday 11 November 2019

The John Lewis Partnership is helping customers feel more at home by helping them identify Partners at Waitrose and John Lewis stores that speak their language. 

Launching in November, the scheme will help identify the different languages that Partners speak, giving customers from different backgrounds the opportunity to engage in their native tongues.

The scheme will launch with an initial 20 badges* and among others include French, Spanish, Polish, Hindi, Punjabi and Sign**, with more languages set to be added depending on demand from Partners and customers.

The initiative will initially launch in ten Waitrose & Partners stores and seven John Lewis & Partners stores in November, before rolling out more widely in the future.

Katie Papakonstantinou, Head of Product Services at the John Lewis Partnership comments: “The UK is made up of a wealth of different languages and cultures and we want to celebrate that diversity by offering an even more tailored level of customer service. 

“We want everyone to feel at home in our shops and this is a great way to ensure that those who speak a different language feel even more welcome in our shops.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with 81,500 employees who are all Partners in the business and share in its profits. The Partnership operates on strong democratic principles, which means that every Partner has a say in how the organisation is run. The business has annual gross sales of over £11.7bn, 394 shops and a leading online business. Its commercial strategy is focused on differentiation rather than scale, through investment in innovation and Partner-led service. 

ENQUIRIES

Waitrose & Partners


Matthew Clemens
Partner & Corporate PR Manager
Tel: 01344 825080 
Email: matthew.clemens@waitrose.co.uk