She said: "We are looking at how we make our products available through other routes, reflecting the fact that Waitrose has a smaller presence in the convenience market than other supermarkets.". The update follows months of deliberation about how to return the loss-making department store chain to its former glory, and help sister business Waitrose capitalise on the boom in home deliveries since lockdown. Then Covid-19 hit, forcing White to announce the closure of eight of the fifty John Lewis stores, including a £35 million flagship above Birmingham New Street station that former John Lewis boss and now mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, opened only. Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. Arguably the most radical proposals are plans to turn empty sites into affordable housing, with the mutual potentially becoming a landlord. Chairman Dame Sharon White unveiled the most radical proposals in the chain's 156-year history in a letter to staff, as it battles for stability in the wake of lockdown. White is the first black woman to chair a large British retail business and, given that such roles are usually filled by white, privately-educated men, it’s easy to understand why her appointment was greeted with such emotion. Sharon White is no shopkeeper but John Lewis is not a normal shop.

View Sharon White’s professional profile on LinkedIn.

Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Her father worked for British Rail and her mother was a machinist. Please, Sharon White, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, SOPHIA SPRING FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE. "Outside of their regular grocery shop, we also know that our customers are spending a lot on food delivery services.

Dame Sharon White, chair, John Lewis Partnership From an operating profit last year of £92.6 million, it made a loss of £37 million.

We see significant scope for us to grow in this area, and are actively exploring early opportunities.". Dame Sharon said: "As we re-purpose and potentially reduce our shop estate, we want to put excess space to good social use.".

White is the first black woman to chair a large British retail business and, given that such roles are usually filled by white, privately-educated men, it’s easy to understand why her appointment was greeted with such emotion.

The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. This week, the company appointed a new HR boss ahead of what is feared to be a wave of job cuts. Dame Sharon is also launching a push into services, with plans to let customers rent products instead of buying them, and a major expansion of the company's finance arm which offers credit cards. Its network of more than 40 stores is to be relegated to a supporting role. She’s earned a reputation for briskness and efficiency; former Justice Minister Kenneth Clarke describes her as one of the brightest people he has ever worked with. It also showed willing to challenge the growing influence of social media sites and streaming video services, even though these fall outside the regulator's remit. It’s said that some staff at John Lewis wept with joy when Sharon White was announced as chairman of the department store chain. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like Sharon White discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts, and business partners. One in six John Lewis Partnership employees are black, Asian or minority ethnic, yet business leaders from those backgrounds remain rare in the top echelons of British business.

Indeed at Ofcom, White showed herself ready to take on big interests, including BT, the BBC, mobile operators Three and O2, and even the Russian government.

We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Follow us for Partnership news and career opportunities. The Waitrose.com website now has more than 160,000 delivery slots a week - up from 60,000 pre-crisis - and that will rise to 250,000.