John Lewis mulls closure of in-store services, 200 jobs at risk

British department store John Lewis is reportedly considering the closure of its in-store money exchange service and dedicated gift wrapping areas in a move that could put around 200 jobs at risk.

According to the BBC, the decision is being driven by falling demand for these services, particularly as foreign currency exchange increasingly moves online. Gift wrapping, meanwhile, is to be made more accessible, potentially moving from a specialised area to the tills.

Closures associated with money exchange will affect 30 stores, while a change to gift wrapping services may apply to 25 locations.

The media outlet noted that no final decisions had been made, but job cuts would happen in autumn if redundancy plans are approved. John Lewis told the BBC that it would support impacted staff throughout the process and “support redeployment where possible”.

It added: “As we focus on modernising this proposition to meet our customers’ changing needs, we’re proposing to close our in-store foreign exchange bureaus as well as our gift wrapping service. As a result, we’re regretful consulting with partners who currently deliver these services.”

John Lewis reported strengthening financials in its latest report, with a 6 percent boost increasing profits to 134 million pounds while sales rose 5 percent to 13.4 billion pounds. Pre-tax loss came to 21 million pounds due to one-off costs.