John Lewis staff in Leicester's Highcross celebrate 17% bonus
Staff at department store John Lewis were celebrating yesterday after it was announced they will receive a 17 per cent bonus.
All employees within the John Lewis Partnership, which also owns supermarket chain Waitrose, will receive the payment – including 400 members of staff at the branch in Leicester's Highcross.
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Windfall: Staff at department store John Lewis, in the Highcross, Leicester
The bonus is equivalent to nearly nine weeks' pay, according to company bosses.
The company has announced sales across the John Lewis Partnership were up by 9.3 per cent last year, while pre-tax profits rose by 15 per cent to £452.4 million.
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About 250 employees in Leicester gathered in the staff canteen at 9am to hear the announcement, which was delivered by catering assistant Ryan Monaghan, who was voted partner of the quarter by his fellow workers.
Ryan, 22, who lives near Scraptoft, said: "I opened the envelope and when I saw it was 17 per cent I told everyone, 'it's good'.
"When I showed them all they started cheering and screaming.
"I think I'm going to spend the money on a holiday to Ibiza and the rest on clothes."
Sandra Dent, who is section manager for beauty and has worked for John Lewis for three years, is planning to spend her bonus on a vintage ring she can pass on to her grandchildren.
The 50-year-old from Sileby, a grandmother-of-five, said: "Every year there's always a great buzz about what the bonus will be and everyone has a guess. It was a great surprise to find out.
"I love jewellery and I want to buy a piece that will one day be an heirloom – I wouldn't normally have the chance to do something like this."
Jenny Carter, 27, section manager for the furniture department, will use her bonus to fund a three-week road trip along America's Route 66.
She said: "Everyone was clapping and cheering and there was genuine surprise it was such a big number because the economic climate is still tough.
Cliff Vanstone, managing director of the Leicester store, said: "Today is a wonderful day because the partners get to share the results of their hard work.
"Against the backdrop of what has been a challenging year for retail, we are pleased to have put in a robust performance during the year at John Lewis Leicester."
John Lewis is a co-operative, owned by its staff or "partners", who get paid some of its profits every year in the form of bonuses.
Last year the store, which opened nearly five years ago, had its most successful Christmas to date, with sales up by 4.3 per cent.
In contrast, rival Debenhams said sales fell by 10 per cent in the last two weeks of January. Bosses claimed bad weather was to blame.
12 Comments
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by georgeisafish
Saturday, March 09 2013, 8:40PM
“it is deserved, if only the nonsense put up with and the demands of customers who believe they are so much better than any one working in a shop!”
by johnboy313
Saturday, March 09 2013, 3:56AM
“I suppose those who actually save lives don't deserve a pay rise compared to those who sell things, shop work being so much more important at the end of the day! Well done, you deserve.. they do not!”
by pullingteeth
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:27PM
“Well done! and well deserved too!”
by dcrane
Friday, March 08 2013, 5:44PM
“I only go in the shop rarely but each time I've been in I've been impressed at the staff's good customer service skills and their general friendliness, so I'd imagine they've probably earned their bonuses and I hope they enjoy spending them. It's a good job Tesco don't operate a similar system though, coz most of their staff would owe their employer money!!!!”
by zygote3
Friday, March 08 2013, 12:34PM
“@C_G_Lee - and don't forget that John Lewis's is fundamentally different to other high street shops as it is owned by its staff. It isn't owned by a private equity company, or merely the UK brand of a multinational. So its not just good management, its staff being motivated at every level, because they own part of the company and they get a proper stake in its success.
John Lewis's sells things in all price ranges and also has the well known 'never knowingly undersold' motto, so anyone that just thinks it is expensive has probably never actually shopped in one. Although, I suppose if you do all your shopping in the pound shop sector, shops in other sectors can seem pricey, compared to what you are used to.”
by Rm2013
Friday, March 08 2013, 11:01AM
“How is it undignified or distasteful? We've worked hard especially over Christmas. The partnership is a good place to work, the bonus is just one of the many benefits we get. We share our success from the chairman to selling assistant, everybody gets it. It was a good day! No high street business is like ours”
by f007e
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:55AM
“This is because John Lewis don't have to satisfy shareholders, it's solely owned by the staff. I think that goes a long way to explaining why the customer service there and at Waitrose is so good - the staff have a direct interest in the success of the company.”
by C_G_Lee
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:24AM
“It's nice to see the staff being rewarded for all their hard work. If you treat the staff well, they treat the customers well and the customers keep coming back. Hence the fact that John Lewis is doing so well. Quite clever management strategy in my book.”
by LikeItaLot
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:20AM
“"Cheapest is not always best value" (John Lewis the Third)”
by Shushhhh
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:17AM
“Good for them. I had a very decent pay rise last year and a bonus to boot. However in these times of austerity I would have bought quite undignified and distasteful to walk around town displaying my new wealth for the world to see.”