John Lewis boss needs more than just a positive outlook
Sharon White’s optimism is not entirely misplaced, but getting the department store's mojo back will be her biggest challenge
Sharon White is chairman of the John Lewis Partnership
Credit: Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Two billion. That’s how many reasons John Lewis boss Sharon White has to do things that her predecessors thought unimaginable.
Well, £2.1bn to be precise. With the 157-year-old high street darling drowning in debt, Dame Sharon has had to be unflinching in her overhaul.
The pandemic has helped too. John Lewis was already struggling but a Covid-induced collapse in profits has left it embroiled in a scrap for survival, providing the cover needed to swing the axe at an institution that prides itself on being cuddly.