Retail Organization Company Profile - 2270 Words

Retail organisation: Company Profile – John Lewis. Emergence of John Lewis and department stores John Lewis is one of the major successes in the British retail sector with a vast influential history. They are the largest department store retailer in the UK; this includes 31 department stores, 10 John Lewis at home stores, also shops at Heathrow airport and St Pancreas international. The company emerged in retail when the first store opened in Oxford Street in 1864. The first store came with the famous tagline ‘never knowingly undersold’. This is the promise that ‘the price of any item we sell will always be as low as the lowest price in the neighbourhood’. According to O’Brien, L, G. and Harris, F. (1991, pp 47) after 1850 a†¦show more content†¦Emphasis across the country was placed heavily on salesmanship and commerce. There was a movement from double functioning shops; shops that doubled as a place for business and work for shop keepers and family, and ‘lock-up’ shops. These shops were exclusively places of business. H owever, the major change from this period was the growth and emergence of large-scale retailing, thus the department store was born. This movement in retailing coincided with the opening of the first John Lewis department store in 1864. (O’Brien, L, G. and Harris, F.1991, pp 47) A department store is a retailer that sells a large variety of products. The stores are divided into a number of sections each offering a different service and product for consumers: the food department, the footwear department, the toys and games department, etc. Department stores â€Å"compete mainly by offering customers convenience [All products and merchandise they require is all in the same place, meaning visitations to other shops isn’t needed.], personal service and good quality products rather than on a basis of self service and cut prices.† (Collins, 2006.) John Lewis position in the retail sector The main aspect of John Lewis is the infamous partnership. This is a governance system that was both commercial and democratic; this allowed the business to move quickly and maintain a leading position in a competitive industry whilst giving every partner a voice in