Hundreds of jobs at risk as John Lewis announces closure of in-store services

John Lewis has put 200 jobs at risk as it plans to shut down desks operating gift wrapping and foreign exchange services.

The 36-strong department store chain said it had begun a consultation on redundancies for the workers as it plans to close the desks which operate bureau de change services in 30 stores, and specialist gift wrapping in 25 stores. The closures will take place this autumn.

John Lewis has long had a reputation for strong customer service on the high street, and this week came second behind the building society Nationwide in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, published by the Institute of Customer Service.

One member of staff told the Guardian: “They are removing the area of the shop that John Lewis claims they stand for.”

A John Lewis spokesperson said: “Our customers are increasingly buying the broad range of currencies we offer online, and enjoying the convenience of having this delivered directly to their home or collecting it at one of our shops.

“As we focus on modernising this proposition to meet our customers’ changing needs, we’re proposing to close our in-store foreign exchange bureaus as well as our gift wrapping service.”

They added: “As a result, we’re regretfully consulting with partners who currently deliver these services. This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly, and we will support impacted partners throughout the consultation process and support redeployment where possible.”

It is understood the customer service desk areas will be repurposed for other uses and John Lewis said the vast majority of queries were already handled by shop floor assistants, who would continue to take on this role if the proposed closures went ahead.

No final decision on the closures has been taken, but should they go ahead, John Lewis customers will be able to order currency online and arrange home delivery or pick up in stores.

In March the John Lewis Partnership, which runs Waitrose supermarkets as well as the department store chain, said it would continue to seek ways of operating more efficiently this year, including more use of electronic shelf labels and AI, but it would not comment on whether more jobs could go.

Last year the parent group cut 3,300 jobs taking its total to 65,700. About 1,500 of those roles were cut from John Lewis department stores.

The company – which has closed stores, cut jobs and ditched plans to build and rent out homes above its stores in order to trim costs – paid an annual bonus to workers in March for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose by 6%. Each worker, including the chair, received a bonus equivalent to 2% of salary.