Pippa Wicks, the executive director at John Lewis, has abruptly left the British employee-owned department store chain after three years.
(Bloomberg) — Pippa Wicks, the executive director at John Lewis, has abruptly left the British employee-owned department store chain after three years.
Wicks, a turnaround expert hired to help revive sales at John Lewis, will be succeeded by Naomi Simcock, currently retail director, on an interim basis with immediate effect, the UK retailer said in a statement.
Wicks was appointed in 2020 by Chairman Sharon White, a former telecommunications regulator who oversees the John Lewis Partnership Plc, which also owns upmarket grocer Waitrose. She was one of a number of high-profile hires White made after taking over the running of a group which is co-owned by about 80,000 employees, known as “partners.”
Long considered the reliable choice for middle-class Britons and lauded for its “multi-channel” retailing and service levels, John Lewis has come unstuck in recent years, weighed down by expensive stores and far more nimble rivals, particularly online.
When White joined she set out a plan to expand digital and delivery services and generate £400 million ($481 million) of profit by 2025. She has since had to contend with a pandemic which led to store closures as well as the worst inflation in decades which has particularly affected the grocery arm.
Earlier this month Waitrose said it would spend a record £100 million to cut prices as it tries to win back customers who have deserted it for cheaper rivals, including the discounters Aldi and Lidl.
During her time at John Lewis, Wicks closed unprofitable stores, ditched the retailer’s long-held “Never Knowingly Undersold” price promise, and introduced an affordable range known as Anyday.
John Lewis will report full-year results next month. It is facing intense competition from rivals such as Next Plc and Marks & Spencer Group Plc.
(Updates with additional information throughout)
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