John Lewis commercial director departs after three years
Before joining the retailer in 2021, Kathleen Mitchell was managing and brand director at Accessorize for three years
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John Lewis commercial director Kathleen Mitchell has left the business after joining the group three years ago.
Before joining the retailer, Mitchell was managing and brand director at Accessorize for three years. She also held various senior roles at Stella & Dot and L’Oréal.
In an announcement on LinkedIn, she said: “After an incredible journey at John Lewis, I’ve decided to embark on a new chapter.I took some time at the start of the year to recharge with my family and reflect on the wonderful experiences and colleagues I’ve had.
“We made big moves, delivered results, innovated and positioned the business for the future. Huge heartfelt thanks to the outstanding Commercial Team and wishing every success to the iconic Partnership.”
The news comes a week after it was reported the John Lewis Partnership had fallen short of its profit targets in Q4 after both Waitrose and John Lewis “missed their sales targets” over Christmas, according to The Telegraph.
The partnership cited “lower consumer confidence and weaker than expected market confidence” for the softer sales in the month to 21 December.
According to an internal document seen by the outlet, the partnership claimed that it had outperformed its competitors and that staff should be “proud of our performance”.
It was banking on a positive golden quarter following the return of its ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ price promise in September and improved food offer in Waitrose.
As a result, the company is thought to be unlikely to reach its target of £131m in profit for the full year.
