News: Performance Management
Training is part of retail giant's 'long-term business approach'
03 September 2008
Retail giant John Lewis plans to step up its staff training provision to tackle falling sales, rather than resort to job cuts.
The chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Charlie Mayfield, said the importance of training investment does not wane during periods of economic slowdown - instead, it can contribute to a reduction in staff turnover.
"At times like this, training people at one department to move into another one where we've got better sales growth [means] you can actually manage your demand that way," he remarked to Personnel Today.
Mr Mayfield's comments follow news that sales at John Lewis dropped by more than four per cent across all 26 stores by mid-August.
"We are a business, we believe in pursuing a long-term approach to growing the business," he added to the publication.
The retail director at another high-street chain echoed Mr Mayfield's remarks this week, as she emphasised the positive effect which training has on sales.
Liz Bennett and Lisa Titcomb, her colleague at hand-made cosmetics firm Lush, explained that training makes employees feel motivated and "invested in".
