Inflation hit the John Lewis Partnership “like a hurricane”, says chair Sharon White, with “strong sales” at John Lewis offset by declining sales at Waitrose.
After John Lewis revealed last week it would be parting ways with long-term agency partner adam&eveDDB, System1’s Jon Evans looks at what the retailer’s new agency can learn from the successes and failures of more than a decade of festive ads.
Creative agency Adam&eveDDB has rejected the opportunity to repitch, having been a driving force behind the retailer’s iconic Christmas ad campaigns for over a decade.
Pan-partnership customer director Charlotte Lock will take over responsibility for John Lewis’s customer activity, a year on from joining the business.
John Lewis’s festive spot ranks low in a field of exceptionally high-ranking Christmas ads, but performs well for a purpose-focused campaign.
Taking a cue from customer sentiment amid the cost of living crisis, John Lewis has swapped glossy effects for a simpler story highlighting the experiences of children in care.
John Lewis & Partners is focusing on affordability as it enters the second half of 2022, ahead of Christmas and the World Cup.
John Lewis has repositioned the brand under the ‘For all life’s moments’ promise, which it will be backing with a major new campaign, as part of its five-year turnaround plan.
The firm is promising further “significant investment” this year in areas including digital services, shop refurbishment, value and revenue diversification.
Claiming its original price promise is “no longer enough”, the retailer will focus on a new quality and value pledge backed by £500m of investment.
John Lewis and Waitrose have had separate customer directors since 2020, but are now introducing a pan-partnership customer director to develop a joint strategy, improve their customer capabilities, and launch a new loyalty proposition.
A shift in tone from last year’s offering and a break with Waitrose, John Lewis gambled by bringing its festive campaign forward a week to feed consumer demand for all things Christmas. Has this strategy paid off?
Responding to consumer demand for joyful escapism, John Lewis has brought its Christmas advert forward by a week and split with Waitrose to ensure both brands have “clarity of thought”.
The John Lewis Partnership has reported strong results from its scheme to bring the John Lewis and Waitrose brands closer together, as well as from the launch of its value Anyday range.
The retailer is hoping the “trust and love” consumers have for its brand will enable it to expand successfully into investments, backed by a £100m cash injection in its financial services business over the next five years.