John Lewis has signed off 12,000 more workers to help protect its cash flow amid the coronavirus emergency. The upmarket chain said it's placed thousands more staff on paid leave - as 50 branches remain closed in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
It said over the past month, "demand at Waitrose has risen sharply but operating costs have increased too", on the back of an unprecedented rise in online orders.
Across its Waitrose arm, sales are up 8% year-on-year since 26 January. Items such as rice, pasta, long life milk, home baking, frozen foods and cleaning products, have been selling out the fastest, it said. "Demand for home delivery has been especially strong and we have increased our capacity by 50%, which puts us in good stead