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John Lewis: Bringing Quality to Life

CSR has always been at the heart of John Lewis’ approach to business. During 2010, we decided to refresh our approach and gather all John Lewis’ CSR activities under one banner: ‘Bringing Quality to Life’. It provides a shared vision and common goals for us to work towards, and has three main focus areas:

 

A BETTER WAY OF DOING BUSINESS

Bringing quality to life through a better way of doing business, from our unique Partnership structure to our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment

 

ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Bringing quality to life through the products and services we sell by ensuring they are responsibly made and by helping customers choose and use them in ways that are more sustainable

 

COMMUNITY LINKS

Bringing quality to life through the communities we touch, whether local to our shops or to our suppliers throughout the world

 

We have set up a steering group to oversee this strategy. In 2011 we will engage Partners through a roadshow and begin to launch our new vision to suppliers. We will continue to develop our plans and review our key performance indicators and measures.

 

A better way of doing business

Our aim is to utilise our co-ownership business model to support our new vision.

 

We intend to involve Partners and suppliers in our plans to make our products, our operations and our supply chain more sustainable. For example, the success of our efforts to embed our approach to Responsible Development relies on us fully engaging Partners and suppliers. We will also promote and encourage more sustainable choices and behaviours.

 

Community links

Our vision is of people working in partnership to bring quality to people’s lives. By acting locally wherever we do business, we will help transform the communities of which we are a part and be recognised for both what we do and the way we do it. This ranges from dealing with suppliers fairly to supporting the local people around our shops. Read more in Trading responsibly and Our communities.

 

The John Lewis Foundation is one of our models for engagement with suppliers, in the UK and overseas. The Foundation makes grants to projects with a supplier or Partner link to improve disadvantaged communities in which suppliers live and work.

 

One of our retired Partners, Tricia Hamilton, former John Lewis Director of Buying, Fashion, spent six months doing voluntary work at a women’s refuge in Tamil Nadu in India. The Foundation donated £5,000 to fund refurbishment and redecoration, making a tangible difference to the women’s lives. Our sustainable cotton farmer training programme will also be supported by the Foundation.

 

(Photo of Christine Kasoulis)

“ Bringing Quality to Life has brought together all the elements of our CSR strategy. Under this vision, we are actively engaging our Partners – their passion will drive change for the business. Bringing Quality to Life fundamentally underpins our commitment for providing quality products combined with excellent service.”

Christine Kasoulis, Head of Brand

Development , John Lewis

 

Supporting UK manufacturers

John Lewis is committed to British manufacturers and is working to increase the number of its suppliers producing products in the UK. We also ran a UK supplier showcase event.

 

A Yorkshire-based bed maker supplies our ‘Natural Collection’ mattresses containing wool and hemp grown on its own farm. Our commercial support and belief in long-term supplier relationships enabled the supplier to establish its own farm to grow raw materials – which travel fewer miles and make better products. The Yorkshire wool we now use is springier and better for mattress construction than the New Zealand wool we previously used.

 

Our own Herbert Parkinson business in Lancashire produces home textile products including woven fabric, pillows and duvets, and bespoke home furnishings. Herbert Parkinson emphasises unique design, quality and service. Last year, its retail sales exceeded £47 million.

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