Major UK department store to axe key service in 30 stores putting 200 jobs at risk

The announcement comes just three weeks after John Lewis unveiled plans to invest £50million across five stores

The announcement comes just three weeks after John Lewis unveiled plans to invest £50million across five stores

John Lewis has announced plans to cut a major in-store service, putting around 200 jobs at risk.

The retailer has launched a consultation with affected staff as it looks to make changes across dozens of stores.

The department store chain plans to close its foreign exchange bureaux in 30 stores and end its gift wrapping service at 25 locations this autumn.

John Lewis, which has 36 stores across the UK, said the move reflects changing customer habits, with more shoppers now buying foreign currency online rather than visiting in-store counters.

Staff working in the affected services are being consulted, with the retailer saying it will look for redeployment opportunities where possible.

A John Lewis spokesperson said: "Customers are increasingly buying the broad range of currencies we offer online, and enjoying the convenience of having this delivered directly to their home or collecting it at one of our shops."

The retailer said the changes are part of plans to modernise its services to better reflect how customers now shop.

"As we focus on modernising this proposition to meet our customers' changing needs, we're proposing to close our in-store foreign exchange bureaux as well as our gift wrapping service," the spokesperson added.

If the plans go ahead, customers will still be able to order foreign currency online for home delivery or collect it from a John Lewis store.

John Lewis said the proposals had not been taken lightly. The retailer said it would support affected staff throughout the consultation process and look to redeploy employees where possible.

However, one employee criticised the plans, telling the Guardian: "They are removing the area of the shop that John Lewis claims they stand for."

The retailer stressed that no final decision has been made and the consultation is ongoing.

If the plans go ahead, the space currently used for customer service desks will be used for other purposes.

John Lewis said most customer queries are already dealt with by shop floor staff, who would continue to provide support.

The announcement comes just three weeks after John Lewis unveiled plans to invest £50million across five stores this year as part of a wider programme to modernise its 36-store estate.

The retailer has been reshaping its business in recent years.

Last year, parent company John Lewis Partnership cut 3,300 jobs, reducing its workforce to 65,700. Around 1,500 of those roles were in the department store business.

Despite the job cuts, the partnership paid staff an annual bonus in March for the first time in four years.

Employees received a bonus worth two per cent of their salary after the business reported a six per cent increase in underlying profits.