{
  "id": 634560,
  "title": "John Lewis’ new boss faces a battle to boost online sales",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/john-lewis-new-boss-faces-a-battle-to-boost-online-sales",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-12T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/peter-ruis-cuts-short-mission-to-revamp-stuffy-john-lewis/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "John Lewis's new managing director, Will Kernan, faces the daunting task of boosting the department store's online sales after Peter Ruis's surprise departure. Ruis, who had only recently rejoined the group in January 2024, stepped down in September to pursue new projects. The timing of his departure comes amid warnings of a \"really tough\" period for the firm, as John Lewis's chair, Jason Tarry, revealed in an internal interview. Tarry described the upcoming future as \"unexpected even six months ago, let alone a couple of years ago.\"\n\nRuis's turnaround efforts focused on refreshing the partnership's stores, investing £800m to make them more appealing to cost-conscious shoppers. This included the return of Topshop to high-street retail and revamping the retailer's beauty halls. However, the shift in leadership may provide a more prominent spotlight on the group's online platform, where Kernan's strengths in this area could prove advantageous. Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman noted that Ruis's departure could redirect attention to the online platform, given his store-focused strengths.\n\nDespite an 11% increase in online sales in the last year, John Lewis still grapples with the challenge of enhancing its online platform's profitability, which now accounts for 60% of its near-£4bn revenue. The company's online sales face increasing competition from rivals, and Kernan will need to navigate the unique difficulty posed by the partnership's staff bonus model. The retailer had reinstated the bonus this year after cutting it for the first time in 2020, but Tarry remains cautious and warns that the bonus could be cut again if conditions deteriorate.",
  "summary": "Another cloud appeared in an already gloomy sky for John Lewis on Monday, when its managing director, Peter Ruis, announced his surprise departure. Just days before, an internal interview with the group’s chair, Jason Tarry, was leaked to the press, in which he warned of a “really tough” period for the firm. Ruis’s decision to [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}