single strongest competitive advantage it has which is customer service,” Hyman said.
“The next 18 months are going to be real tough, much tougher than now, and we are really going to see who’s got the vision and financial strength to invest in building sales. John Lewis will need to understand what are the fundamental pillars of its DNA and reinforce those in the marketplace.”
Peter Ruis, the boss of the Jigsaw fashion brand who previously worked with Nickolds at John Lewis, said: “Paula intuitively understands what the customers wants and she’ll want to keep innovating without burning the foundations down - keeping the best of the old with the best of the new.”
Street, another former John Lewis graduate trainee, leaves at the end of this week after nine years as managing director to pursue his campaign to be mayor of the West Midlands. Dino Rocos, operations director, will lead the department store group until Nickolds moves to her new role.
Although most of the plans are already in place, Rocos will have to shepherd the business through the all-important Christmas period when the vast majority of John Lewis’s profits are made.
Victoria Beckham Announces Her New Collection for Target
She’ll be designing for women and children.
Victoria Beckham is expanding her fashion empire. She just announced that she is teaming up with Target to launch a limited-edition collection that will include not only her classic women's wear, but introduce her first line of children's wear as well. The partnership also marks an opportunity for Beckham to make her designs more accessible and affordable. The 200-plus pieces will range in price from $6 to $70, with adult sizes going from extra small to 3X for women. The line will be available April 9, 2017, online and in all Target stores, with certain pieces selling internationally on Beckham’s Web site.
This has been a year of expansion for the Victoria Beckham brand. While continuing her
eponymous clothing line, she also partnered with Estée Lauder for her first foray into cosmetics, which includes everything from lipsticks to primers. Most notably, she’s maintaining her growing empire while staying camera-ready at all times.