UK's John Lewis Partnership May Reduce Employee Ownership Percentage

Retailer and department chain the John Lewis Partnership is mulling a reduction of its employee ownership percentage. The company, currently 100% employee-owned via a perpetual trust (the UK's version of an employee ownership trust, or EOT), is considering the reduction to raise between 1 and 2 million pounds of investment capital. The plan, as it stands, would sell a minority stake, allowing the company to retain its status as the UK's largest majority employee-owned company.

In recent years, the company has struggled to cope with stagnant economic growth and inflation and has had to reduce staff and bonuses in response. Still in the early stages of considering its options, the company insists that any move it makes will prioritize its "employee-centric values."