Around 150 John Lewis shop workers could face redundancy as part of restructuring plans focused on improving in-store customer experience.

The department store chain is also making a multi-million pound investment designed to help simplify processes, roll out new technology, and restructure staff to better meet customer needs.

The move, first reported by Retail Week, also involves a £5 million investment in new digital headsets to improve communications which could reduce wait times by removing the need for staff to track eachother down across stores.

The company has already rolled out more than 6,000 headsets across its branches.

Additionally, John Lewis will spend £1 million on mobile printers so that staff can replace missing shelf edge labels.

5,000 staff members will receive devices enabling them to take mobile payments away from the tills on the shop floor.

The British retailer is also making changes to staff hours and adapting front and back of house roles so that all staff can work on the shop floor during busy periods.

A John Lewis spokesperson told Retail Systems that the company’s plans are similar to those carried out in Waitrose earlier this year.

“We’re seeking to make sure Partners are in the right place at the right time to help customers,” they said. “We’re also removing unnecessary tasks, and introducing new technology to make their roles easier.”

The plans come after John Lewis Partnership announced earlier this year a return to profit after several years of losses.

The department store attributed the improved performance to a rise in sales, an improvement in gross margins, and an increase in productivity.

In September 2023, John Lewis managed to narrow its losses by 14 per cent in the first half of the year.

However, rising costs driven by inflation knocked back the company's ambitious transformation plan.

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