John Lewis Partnership

Channels | eBay | Amazon

Established over 150 years ago,John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has been a British icon of the high street shopping experience.  Offering high levels of service and advice, it has become a leading operator in the retail market.

Challenge and Objectives

JLP was disposing of customer returns and ex-display stock through wholesale auctions and independent traders, providing a return on RRP of 1% – 10%. This return was insufficient to offset the costs of their reverse logistics operation.

They were keen to establish an anonymous direct online route, ensuring they did not encounter any channel conflict with their retail network or partners.

Our Approach and Partnership Strategy

Starting from a trial basis, XS Items was able to prove a better financial return was available through effective repair and refurbishment, listing development and marketplace management.

Ongoing analysis and reporting allowed the partnership to develop product selection criteria and assessment to further improve both logistics and financial results.

Our Results

By identifying suitable items, undertaking minor refurbishment and developing innovative selling strategies, XS Items has increased the overall return average to over 30%.  In some product sectors this has increased to 65%.

This has enabled JLP to focus on their core activities whilst increasing the amount of revenue generated and providing a substantial offset against their reverse logistics cost base.