Clash of the Titans?: Why John Lewis beats M&S

John Lewis vs M&S..? No contest surely..

In light of recently published Christmas trading figures, Stuart Rose has apparently conceded M&S is losing the battle for Middle England to John Lewis, as Marks and Sparks endured a  LFL sales increase of only 0.8% on the year, against what was a record Christmas for the John Lewis Partnership.

Which makes him officially the last person to notice that JLP won the war for the hearts and minds of the sensible discerning shopper a long time ago. John Lewis have been one of the few retailers to enjoy consistent strong trading throughout the recession, a trend that continued with an unbelievable LFL increase of 12.7% on the year during Christmas Peak Trading.

Why? Well...yes, the clothing offer has been substantially improved and some well received advertising campaigns have helped. And yes, Waitrose is doing better than ever thanks to the strategic vision of the self professed 'chubby grocer' Mark Price, up 16.1% on the year over the full peak trading period....
But fundamentally, it's because we really, really trust John Lewis. And in times of uncertainty we cling desperately to what we know to be honest, reliable and trustworthy, and John Lewis fits the bill on every score.

Honesty: Their 'never knowingly undersold' policy is famous, and true- in fact they even gave me back the difference when the £40 gloves my husband bought me for Chrstimas that went half price two days later! What's not to love about a retailer who does not penalise you for being too impatient to wait for their Clearance Sale! JLP are also known for reccomending the most appropriate item for you rather than the most expensive- you can't put a price on that (well I guess you can- a 12.7% improvement in sales..)

Reliable: You know whenever you visit a John Lewis store, it will look tidy and easy to shop around- spacious and with good signage so you don't have to wander around in an increasing rage for ages. You know they will have a good range, and that they will probably have what you need. You  know their staff by and large will be informed and informative, and helpful. Not much to ask perhaps- but plenty of people are still getting this wrong...

Trustworthy: These things make me trust JL- they aren't the cheapest store out there, but they don't need to be, because that trust means we will actively seek out a store, and certainly shop with them above other retailers, every time.

And in these still grimly uncertain times, that, my dears, is gold dust.