In anticipation of International Women’s Day [8 March], John Lewis has unfurled its latest campaign, extending an invitation to women-led businesses to collaborate under the banner of ‘John Lewis & Sisters’.
This transformative campaign seeks to elevate women creators, designers, producers and emerging brands, inviting them to showcase their products with the potential for placement on John Lewis’s shelves in time for Christmas. The retailer, iconic for its commitment to quality and innovation, is set to morph into ‘John Lewis & Sisters’ across social media channels from March 4 to 10, symbolising its dedication to fostering female talent from an array of industries.
At the heart of this initiative lies a profound homage to the women who have shaped John Lewis over its 160-year history. Through a pop-art inspired collage installation, the retailer pays tribute to luminaries like Sarah Lewis, the late wife of John Lewis, and contemporary icons such as Charlotte Tilbury and Emma Bridgewater.
Charlotte Lock, customer director for the John Lewis Partnership, affirms the campaign’s ethos in a statement: “For 160 years, women creators and makers have been at the heart of John Lewis – from era-defining designers to our incredible Partners.
“We’re still partnering with incredible markers and are looking for the next generation, by inviting talented female business owners to come and help us shape the future of the John Lewis brand.”
The collaboration with women-led businesses underscores John Lewis’s profound commitment to diversity and inclusion, evident in its supplier relationships.
As part of this commitment, John Lewis partnered with Coupa, a platform with a database of over 2 million diverse suppliers. This alliance enables John Lewis to engage with certified minority-, woman-, veteran-, and LGBT-owned vendors. Not only does this collaboration enrich the retailer’s supplier network, but it also magnifies its dedication to promoting inclusivity and diversity within its supply chain.
Rob Turner, John Lewis’s former global head of procurement, shared in an interview with Coupa: “We have to have a conversation about what diversity and inclusion looks like within our supply chain, and whether it represents what we think it should represent.”
Turner added: “As far as I’m concerned, I want us to take a period of time to learn, to reflect on what we can do better… and to evaluate how [these new findings] might clash with our previous strategies about how we manage our supply base.
“We need to be prepared to open up that debate.”
Beyond John Lewis’s inauguration campaign of ‘John Lewis & Sisters’, its stores will host live events, experiences and offers, as well as spotlighting talents of renowned female performers such as Charlie Hedges and Gemma Cairney. The retailer’s commitment also extends beyond its storefronts, with support pledged to The Prince’s Trust #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign, aimed at empowering young women to forge brighter futures through employment and education.
