John Lewis reportedly mulling reinstatement of staff bonus upon set targets

Employees at John Lewis Partnership (JLP) are said to be one step closer to receiving staff bonuses as the department store chain edges towards associated financial targets.

According to the Financial Times, the retailer is eyeing a 200 million pound profit target for the year ended January 2026, upon which it may reinstate bonuses four years after putting the scheme on hold.

In an internal memo seen by the media outlet, the company said that if profits hit that target, “we would recommend to the board that we pay a bonus”.

In a statement to FashionUnited, JLP said it would not comment on speculation surrounding targets. It did note: “As we said at our full year results in March, we expect to increase our profitability in the coming year.”

Pressure for JLP to reintroduce bonuses has continued to mount in recent months, escalating in June when a petition began circulating online calling for their return.

The call came on the back of JLP reporting a 97 million pound profit in the beginning of 2025, missing its reported internal target of 150 million pounds, which it was said to have set as a threshold for reinstating bonuses.

In response to the petition, JLP told FashionUnited that, while the “bonus remains an important feature of our employee-ownership model”, it was focused on improving employee base pay and investing in the business. “We’ve publicly stated that we are determined to pay one as soon as possible,” the statement continued.

The company has continued to carry out a widespread turnaround plan, largely focused on upgrading its store fleet, helping it return to profit in 2024 after swinging to a loss during the pandemic.