Hundreds of jobs at risk as John Lewis plans to cut some services

Around 200 John Lewis staff could lose their jobs as the retailer proposes closing its in-store money exchange services and dedicated gift wrapping areas. The job cuts would happen in the autumn if the redundancy plans are approved. John Lewis cited falling demand for foreign exchange and a shift to digital payments as reasons for the closure of its bureaux de change, while gift-wrapping services would be moved to tills. A spokesperson said the company would support affected staff through the consultation process and seek redeployment where possible. The money exchange closure will affect 30 shops and the gift wrapping closure will affect 25 shops. The retailer has undergone significant changes under chair Jason Tarry, who took over in 2024 after a period of job cuts and store closures. It closed its housebuilding arm in February, leading to further job losses. However, in March, the retailer announced it would award staff a bonus for the first time in four years, as profits and sales improved. The bonus had been scrapped during the Covid pandemic. John Lewis' latest results show a pre-tax loss of £21m due to £120m in one-off costs related to write-downs in old tech systems, but underlying profits rose 6% to £134m, with sales across the business rising 5% to £13.4bn.