Type
Business expansion
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Leicester
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale In Non-Specialised Stores
47.1 - Retail sale in non-specialised stores

1,000 jobs
Number of planned job creations
Job creation
Announcement Date
19 April 2007
Employment effect (start)
19 April 2007
Foreseen end date
1 January 2017

Description

On 19 April 2007 retail giant John Lewis announced plans to build a new store in Leicester, bringing with it up to 1,000 jobs. 'We anticipate that the majority of our new jobs will be given to people from Leicester and the surrounding areas,' said John Lewis' Andrew Clarke. 'With the more senior management positions, we will also look to people already working for John Lewis,' he added. Mr Clarke said the recruitment process would start after Christmas.

Job creation is part of the company's plans to create 35,000 new jobs and double its turnover within the next 10 years. The partnership board of the employee-owned business has signed off on proposals to create a 100,000 strong workforce by 2017. The group also plans to open at least 10 new department stores and to double sales to 12 billion GBP during the period. A significant increase in Waitrose supermarket stores - from the current 184 branches - is also planned. John Lewis development director, Mark Price, first revealed the expansion plan in the retailer's internal magazine. Healthy demand for electrical goods and beauty products helped increase sales 10% in the approach to Christmas. 


Sources

  • 19 February 2007: BBC Website
  • 19 April 2007: BBC News

Citation

Eurofound (2007), John Lewis, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 64985, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64985.