Thu, 11 Sep 2025

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 John Lewis losses nearly triple to £88m

The owner of the eponymous department store and Waitrose expects the business to return to profit.
John Lewis reported a significant increase in losses, reaching £88m in the first half of the year, up from £30m a year earlier. This was largely due to increased costs associated with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and higher National Insurance Contributions (NICs). The company spent £29m on EPR policy and NICs, which is roughly equally split between the two. The EPR levy could add up to 0.5% to food prices if retailers pass the full cost onto customers. Despite the increased losses, John Lewis Partnership chair Jason Tarry remains optimistic about the future, predicting strong sales in the second half of the year, particularly during the Christmas season. He expects a profit in the company's full-year results. Total revenue across the partnership increased by 4% to £6.2bn, with Waitrose sales rising by 6% to £4.1bn. Mr Tarry also expects customers to treat themselves over the festive period. John Lewis has not paid staff bonuses for three years and it is unclear when they will receive their next one.
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