John Lewis commercial staff return to office three days a week

John Lewis has confirmed that some parts of its commercial team have been asked to work either in the office, in stores or with brands and suppliers three days a week.

According to John Lewis, flexible working “very much remains in place”, with a mix of office working, being close to shops, meeting suppliers and working remotely.

The changes will affect teams who need to collaborate on the design and sourcing of products or the group’s store experience.

The group said the move would improve collaboration, as well as create an environment “where teams can learn and develop”, particularly for new recruits.

It comes as the group recently moved to a new office in Pimlico, London, with a “newer, fresher” working environment, which includes collaborative spaces.

A John Lewis spokesperson told Retail Sector: “Flexible working is an important part of our offer; everyone in our business can request to work flexibly, and most central office partners have hybrid working arrangements in place.

“A collaborative culture is critical to help create the best product ranges and store environment for our customers and we’re taking steps to encourage team members to spend time together in our offices, our stores, meeting brands and suppliers and balancing this with working remotely.”

They added: “We’ve also recruited around 50 new team members to help spearhead our range development and store modernisation – and their training and development  is vital to set us up for success.”