John Lewis has told head office staff they are expected to spend more of the working week in person.

In a memo to central office teams, the John Lewis Partnership said staff should be working “more in person than not”, either in the office, with suppliers, or visiting customers and shops.

John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, said the shift would support better collaboration, faster decision-making and stronger business performance.

It comes after the partnership posted a £21m pre-tax loss for the year to 31 January 2026, compared with a £97m profit the previous year. The group said the loss was driven by £120m of exceptional charges, largely linked to legacy technology write-downs as it modernises the business.

John Lewis told staff that many competitors had already moved to stricter return-to-office policies, adding that hybrid working could still allow for homeworking while increasing time spent collaborating face to face.

Central teams, including HR and finance, have been told they should spend more of the week working directly alongside colleagues.

The retailer said it was exploring ways to create more space in its existing offices so staff could come in more regularly. This could include adding more desks to unused space at Waitrose’s headquarters in Bracknell.

However, John Lewis insisted the move did not amount to a formal policy change and said it remained committed to hybrid working.

A spokesperson said: “While some in our industry are returning to the office full time, our policy hasn’t changed, and we are committed to the flexibility that comes with a hybrid approach.

“To drive collaboration, faster decision-making and creativity, our goal is for central teams to be in the office, with suppliers and visiting shops more than they are at home, so we are working with them to make this happen.”

The move marks a shift from the John Lewis’ previous approach. It had championed a more flexible “blended” working model after the pandemic and halved the size of its central London office in 2023 as more staff chose to work from home.

However, retailers have increasingly begun pushing head office teams back into the workplace. Boots ordered staff back to offices five days a week in 2024, while Morrisons also ended homeworking for head office staff last summer.

Marks & Spencer describes itself as an “in-person business”, with support teams expected to be in the office three days a week.