A major UK retailer has axed more than 3,000 jobs despite its boss getting a 21% pay rise and taking home over £1 million. The John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which owns the department store brand and Waitrose supermarket chain, cut thousands of jobs in a bid to reduce costs in 2025. Around 3,300 positions were culled as part of the scheme, while chairman Jason Tarry was handed a major pay rise.
Mr Tarry, who was appointed boss of JLP in September 2024, saw his annual paycheck rise from £990,000 to £1.2 million last year and received a bonus of £22,700 alongside other benefits. The staff-owned company, which operates more than 300 Waitrose sites and 36 John Lewis stores, said Mr Tarry’s pay was increased to match that of former chief executive Nish Kankiwala, who stepped down last year after his position was axed.
His bonus, equivalent to 2% of his salary, was paid to all workers in the company for the first time in four years in 2025 after underlying profits rose by 6%.
The other benefits brought Mr Tarry’s total package to almost £1.26 million, according to the company’s annual report.
The report also showed an overall drop in staff from 69,000 to 65,700 over the 53-week period, with 1,800 fewer roles at Waitrose branches and 1,500 less at John Lewis.
JLP has cut around 10,700 jobs in the last three years and said it would continue seeking ways to cut costs in the spring, including using electronic shelf labels and artificial intelligence (AI).
A JLP spokesperson told The Sun: « Jason’s salary reflects the scale and complexity of his role. What’s more, as we’ve now removed the CEO role, we’ve made a significant reduction in our total annual senior pay.
« We continue to focus on the customer service we’re famous for.
« By ensuring our partners are in the roles where customers need them most, and investing heavily in our brands, we’ve achieved record customer satisfaction.
« This shows we’re becoming a more productive business while delivering even better service for our customers. »
The representative also clarified that « the vast majority of the [workforce] reduction reflects natural attrition, with fewer than 0.5% of partners leaving through redundancy ».
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