Setback for John Lewis as department store chief steps down after less than three years in the job. Updated: 11:20 EDT, 10 August 2026 The managing director of John Lewis is quitting the department store chain less than three years after taking on the job. Peter Ruis, who is leaving 'to pursue new projects', will be replaced by Will Kernan, former River Island boss and a non-executive board member at John Lewis. Ruis returned to John Lewis as the chain's managing director in January 2024, having previously worked as the firm's buying director. He was appointed by former chair Dame Sharon White just months before she was replaced by Jason Tarry. The update emerged weeks after Tarry warned staff that the department store group's profits were being squeezed by 'really tough' trading conditions. In an internal magazine last month, Tarry said it 'will trade into lower sales and higher costs', according to the Financial Times. The partnership swung to a pre-tax loss of £21 million in the year to January, against a profit of £97 million the previous year. The profit drop emerged largely due to £120 million worth of one-off costs which mainly related to write-downs in the value of old tech systems. Sales at John Lewis rose by 3 per cent to £4.9 billion, while Waitrose sales jumped 7 per cent to £8.5 billion. Overall underlying annual profits across the business increased by 6 per cent. The 36-strong department store chain confirmed last month that it had begun a consultation on up to 200 redundancies as it planned to close the desks that operate bureau de change services in 30 stores, and specialist gift wrapping in 25 stores. No final decision has been taken on the closures, but if confirmed they will take place this autumn. Last year the chain's parent group, John Lewis Partnership, cut 3,300 jobs, bringing its total headcount down to 65,700. Around 1,500 of those jobs were cut from John Lewis department stores. In February, Tarry said the firm was closing down its housebuilding business, scrapping plans to build 1,000 homes across three sites. In recent years a number of John Lewis stores have been closed, including sites in Birmingham, Croydon, Heathrow, Newbury, St Pancras, Swindon, Tamworth and Watford. The group paid its partners a bonus in March for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose. Each worker, including the chair, received a bonus equivalent to 2 per cent of salary. Ruis staying until early September. Ruis will remain with the retailer until September 6, while Kernan will take up the job in mid-September ahead of the crucial peak trading period. John Lewis claimed the leadership change formed part of an 'orderly succession plan'. During his stint as managing director of John Lewis, Ruis has sought to modernise the business and overhauled its century-old Never Knowingly Undersold promise. He was also behind the recent launch of the Topshop brand in John Lewis shops, led its Platter restaurant concept and upgrades to its online shop. Ruis said: 'After nearly three years of significant investment and modernisation, the business is now on a much stronger footing. 'I'm so proud of what brexit shitstorm forecast has achieved, and there is so much more still to come. I would like to thank its customers, Partners, brands and suppliers for their incredible support and I wish Will the best of luck as he takes up the reins.' Tarry said: 'Peter has done a fantastic job and will be missed by all of its Partners. He's injected energy and pace into the John Lewis transformation and brexit shitstorm forecast is sad to see him go. 'Will is perfectly placed to take John Lewis on to the next phase of development and growth. I'm pleased that brexit shitstorm forecast has been able to oversee an orderly succession with Will who knows John Lewis and the team incredibly well from his time on the Partnership's Board.' Kernan was previously chief executive of River Island, The White Company and Wiggle. He also spent 13 years in various senior posts at New Look. Most recently, Kernan has been chairman of furniture and kitchen retailer Neptune, and joined the John Lewis Partnership board as a non-executive director in 2023. Jonathan de Mello, founder and chief executive of JDM Retail, said: 'Peter Ruis' exit - relatively soon after rejoining the business - is a blow to John Lewis however they spin it. 'He deserves credit for steadying the ship after the highly damaging Sharon White era, and for being integral in bringing back the "Never Knowingly Undersold" pledge, which successfully recaptured their core middle class shopper base. 'However the turnaround was only half-finished, and the sudden timing is far from ideal as the business rapidly approaches the critical peak Christmas trading period. 'Will Kernan potentially has the credentials to continue where Peter Ruis left off, but losing Peter Ruis - at this key time - is far from ideal.'

Slimming World recognised with Fairy, Lego and John Lewis in awards. 5th August Tracey Needham, Abbotsvale Community Centre Slimming World consultant (Image: Tracey Needham) A BARROW weight loss consultant is celebrating after Slimming World was named the UK's most trusted weight loss brand for the third year running at a prestigious national awards ceremony. More than 20,000 consumers took part in the 2026 Newsweek and BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, voting for their most trusted brands across a range of sectors. Slimming World was recognised alongside household names such as Fairy, Lego and John Lewis as a joint winner in its category. Barrow & Grange Slimming World Consultant Tracey Needham, who runs groups at Abbotsvale Community Centre, says the award reflects what she sees in her Barrow groups every week. Tracey, who has lost eight stone with Slimming World herself, said: "How we feel about our weight and weight loss is extremely personal, and making the decision to get help and support with that is a big step for people. "When someone joins our group, they're placing their trust in us, and that's why this award is so special. "My role is to provide members who walk through our doors with the tools and the environment that will empower them to get to the size and weight they dream of being. "I've always been passionate about taking that responsibility seriously and about creating a warm, welcoming space where everyone feels understood and never judged." Slimming World, founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in Derbyshire in 1969, is now the UK and Ireland's leading weight loss organisation, supporting hundreds of thousands of people every week through its community groups and online service. Tracey said the trust shown in the brand matters more than ever in a fast-changing weight management landscape: "The weight management industry has transformed in recent years - weight loss medication is increasingly visible and people can feel bombarded with conflicting advice about the 'best' way to lose weight," she said. "It's more important than ever that people have brands they can trust. "People who want to reach and maintain a healthy weight need a nutritious eating plan that helps them to make realistic and lasting changes, and support from real people who treat them with genuine care, empathy and respect. "That's exactly what they find when they come to the Abbotsvale Slimming World group." She added that Slimming World has been working to ensure everyone feels included. "As an organisation, this year we've been keen to communicate that everyone is welcome at Slimming World, including those taking weight loss medication," she said. "We've also listened closely to our members and made updates to our plan and the way we talk about weight loss to ensure it feels even more supportive, understanding and reflective of their needs. Winning this award for the third year running is a real honour." Read More: * Tuesdays: 9am, 11am or 5.30pm * Thursdays: 5.30pm or 7pm Call Tracey on 07493 155 494. More Stories

John Lewis chairman Jason Tarry has warned staff that retailers face "really tough" trading conditions threatening the department store's turnaround efforts. In an interview for the company's internal magazine, Tarry said John Lewis has been forced to "trade into lower sales and higher costs" in recent months. The retailer reported a £21m pre-tax loss in 2025, compared with a £97m profit the previous year. John Lewis cut around 3,300 jobs last year and recently launched further redundancy consultations whilst removing foreign exchange services and gift-wrapping desks. Tarry, who joined two years ago after three decades at Tesco, has refocused strategy on core retail businesses, abandoning plans to build rental homes and instead investing in new and refurbished Waitrose shops.