Staff cash in as John Lewis profits rise (From Surrey Comet)

Staff cash in as John Lewis profits rise

5:16pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

Staff at John Lewis and Waitrose in Kingston are planning their next big holiday or shopping spree, after each pocketed a bonus equivalent to nine weeks’ pay.

The John Lewis Partnership announced yesterday that profits for the year had increased by £59m to £452.4m, with gross sales soaring by £811.8m to £9.54bn.

That gave the company a bonus pot of £210.8m, meaning staff will receive an annual cash boost equivalent to 17 per cent of their yearly salary – or nine weeks’ pay.

Jenny Tomley, managing director of John Lewis Kingston, said: “We are very proud to have risen to the challenge and delivered a strong performance.

“The switchover to digital gave us a boost at the start of the year and new technology continues to be of great interest to our customers.    “London 2012 was one of the highlights of the year as we joined with the rest of Kingston in celebrating the town’s involvement.

“We finished the year with a busy clearance and our traditional special buy package proved very popular.

“I would like to thank our partners, and, of course, our customers for their continued support.”