Nish Kankiwala, the former CEO of Hovis, has been appointed as the first-ever chief executive of the John Lewis Partnership. Kankiwala, whose family migrated from Mumbai, India, to the UK in the 1960s, grew up surrounded by retail as his grandparents owned six sari shops. His passion for fabrics led him to start a clothes stall on Walthamstow market and run his family’s shop while studying engineering at University College London. Now, he faces the challenging task of reviving John Lewis and Waitrose, two iconic and prestigious brands that have struggled during the pandemic and faced tough competition from online retailers. Kankiwala aims to restore the partnership’s reputation for quality and service by implementing the five-year recovery strategy, called the Partnership Plan, which includes cost reductions and expansion into new areas such as financial services and high-quality rental housing. Despite facing losses and economic downturn, Kankiwala believes the profit targets can still be achieved through cost reduction measures and sustainable efficiency improvements. He is also focused on enhancing the customer experience, optimizing the supply chain, and investing in technology. Although the partnership has had to close several stores and make redundancies, Kankiwala reassures that there are no plans for further closures and that any future job implications will be managed through natural turnover. Reinstating bonuses is a priority, but Kankiwala believes that higher basic wages are of more concern to the staff. He is committed to preserving the partnership model, believing it to be a better approach that could serve as a model for other businesses. Despite his success, Kankiwala remains humble and grateful for the opportunities he has been given, acknowledging that his parents would be proud of his achievements.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
