John Lewis Commercial Director departs

John Lewis Commercial Director Kathleen Mitchell has announced her departure after more than three and a half years in the role. 

Mitchell joined John Lewis in September 2021, tasked with leading the retailer's strategy across home, fashion, beauty and electricals in-store and online as part of its turnaround scheme.

In a post on LinkedIn, Mitchell 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. Excited to share more about what’s next soon."

Prior to John Lewis, Mitchell served as Managing Director at Accessorize from October 2020 to September 2021. She first joined the business as Brand Director in August 2018.

She has also held senior roles at social selling company Stella & Dot and L'Oreal, including General Manager for Market Development across the group's Professional Products Division.

The news comes shortly after John Lewis warned it may not meet its profit targets this year, after disappointing sales at Waitrose and the rest of its store portfolio over Christmas.

It alerted staff to the slower-than-expected festive trading, a symptom of the increasing despondency on the high street sparked by Chancellor Rachel Reeves' record £40 billion tax raid.

In internal documents seen by The Telegraph, John Lewis blamed "lower consumer confidence and weaker-than-expected market confidence" for missing its sales targets in the month to 21 December, as well as the fact that key trading days fell outside this period.

After three consecutive years of losses, the partnership returned to profit in 2023. The recent results could be seen as a setback for the partnership’s efforts to drive a turnaround following a challenging period under former chairman Dame Sharon White.

The partnership is hoping for a turnaround under former Tesco boss Jason Tarry, who was employed as Chairman in September. Meanwhile, Peter Ruis - who has two decades of retail experience - was appointed as Executive Director one year ago.