John Lewis denies staff their bonuses AGAIN- and warns of job losses as retail giant plans robot workers

JOHN LEWIS has denied employees their cherished bonus once more — and warned yesterday there could also be extra job losses because it battles to revive its fortunes.

The worker-owned retail group, which has 70,000 employees throughout its shops and Waitrose supermarkets, mentioned there could be no wage enhance because it lastly returned to revenue after three years of losses.

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It means the John Lewis Partnership has not paid a bonus for 3 of the 4 years chair Dame Sharon White has been on the helm, a lot of it through the business-busting pandemic.

Earlier than her arrival in 2020, it had given employees a money enhance price a month or two’s wage for 68 years on the trot.

The group has spent £116million elevating minimal employees wages by 10 per cent to £11.55 an hour however that also places it behind the £12-an-hour minimal paid by Tesco, Asda and Aldi.

Dame Sharon mentioned the group, which is meant to be guided by offering “worthwhile and satisfying employment in a profitable enterprise”, supplied employees perks together with subsidised holidays.

She insisted her “plan is working” after the group revealed pre-tax income of £56million, towards a £234million loss the earlier 12 months. It shut 16 shops through the pandemic and has shed 4,000 jobs in all with the closures and cuts at its head workplace.

Experiences recommend one other 11,000 employees might go within the subsequent 5 years because the retailer strives to make its retailers extra environment friendly and it brings in extra robotics to warehouses.

Dame Sharon mentioned there was “no goal” for job losses, however added “inevitably there will likely be much less want for some roles over the approaching years”.

And in a marked shift from Dame Sharon’s objective of producing 40 per cent of revenue from exterior retail, new chief government Nish Kankiwala mentioned that its “refreshed technique” would now be “unashamedly targeted on retail”.

The enterprise has additionally axed its 2030 goal for non-retail income, in a transfer critics mentioned highlighted how a lot of a distraction Dame Sharon’s ambitions to maneuver into backyard centres, housing and monetary companies had grow to be.

Mr Kankiwala mentioned the alternatives might make the enterprise much less “cyclical” to client confidence whereas Dame Sharon mentioned the group was nonetheless dedicated to housing and monetary companies as a part of a “household of companies”.

Dame Sharon, who will step down in February subsequent 12 months on the finish of her five-year time period as chair, couldn’t say when the primary John Lewis house could be constructed and prepared for tenants.

Moonpig A.I. card assist

HEARTFELT messages written for family members by synthetic intelligence are serving to to drive gross sales at Moonpig.

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The greeting playing cards firm mentioned that it had sturdy gross sales over Valentine’s Day and Mom’s Day as extra folks opted to make use of its AI “sensible textual content” for customised playing cards when scuffling with what to write down.

One person’s request for a romantic message for a golf fan resulted in: “Fore-get about all the opposite guys, you’re the hole-in-one for me! Thanks for being my caddy by the ups and downs.”

However insiders admitted the messages written by AI usually want modifying.

Moonpig mentioned its use of know-how would assist revenues and income to maintain rising and meet Metropolis expectations.

Shell in stall on eco purpose

 SHELL has watered down considered one of its local weather pledges as a way to deal with rising its enormous fuel enterprise.

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CEO Wael Sawan mentioned the world could be susceptible to vitality shortages except it invests in drilling for oil and fuel.

His feedback got here the identical week the UK Authorities mentioned it must open new fuel energy crops or face a “real danger of blackouts”.

Shell now plans to cut back the “web carbon depth” of the vitality it sells by 15 to twenty per cent by 2030, slightly than its earlier 20 per cent goal.

Carbon depth measures permit Shell to offset carbon produced by its oil and fuel operations towards the much less polluting components of the enterprise.

Mr Sawan has angered environmental campaigners by placing shareholder returns on the high of his priorities.

Shell additionally revealed Mr Sawan was paid a complete of £7.94million, £2million lower than his predecessor’s pay in 2022.

It is open and shut

A TOTAL of 14,081 shops shut in 2023, a median of 39 per day, as large chains together with Wilk0 shut their doorways.

The figures embrace 583 financial institution branches, 722 pubs and 787 pharmacies, based on a report by PWC and the Native Knowledge Firm.

The closures have been partially offset by 9,138 new shops, primarily in retail parks and procuring centres.

Takeaways, espresso retailers and low cost grocery store have been the most typical new shops.

Magnum drive

SELLING extra Magnums, Lynx and Marmite will repay for the boss of UNILEVER, who can rake in virtually £15million if he boosts the share value.

Hein Schumacher will make £7.3million if he hits minimal gross sales progress, shareholder returns and sustainability targets and as much as £11million for reaching the utmost goals.

However his reward will likely be a whopping £14.8million if he additionally boosts the share value by 50 per cent over three years.

Unilever’s share value has fallen by 9 per cent over the past 5 years.

THE maker of Irn Bru and Rubicon juice is reducing virtually 200 jobs. AG BARR mentioned it’s altering the way it sells merchandise to retailers and as a part of its overhaul will probably be shutting down its direct gross sales operations and shutting an workplace in Leeds.

It is Delivergrew

DELIVEROO has narrowed its losses because the meals supply agency indicators up extra retailers.

Losses shrunk to £10.9million in contrast with £231million in 2022, and it expects to be cashflow-positive this 12 months.

Inflation and dearer restaurant meals pushed up the common order to £24.30. Founder Will Shu informed The Solar it desires to make sure prospects pay the identical value as in supermarkets and eating places. He mentioned: “The trade suffers from an absence of value integrity.”

Grocery orders now account for 13 per cent of its gross sales.