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OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

We believe that being a responsible retailer means, among many other things, respecting the interests of our stakeholders, so we take their needs seriously. We also believe that sustainable solutions to the pressing issues we face can only be developed if all groups of society work together.

Therefore, we continually seek dialogue at the local, national and international levels with representatives from politics, industry and society as well as our Partners, customers and suppliers, and strive to build strong long-term relationships with them. Only in this way can we hope to increase our responsiveness to their concerns, find new ways to reduce our impacts, balance business efficiency with economic success and, ultimately, continue to make the John Lewis Partnership a more competitive, profitable and sustainable enterprise.

Triggered by our strategic review of CSR and, more recently, our internal audit of CSR, we have initiated a review of our stakeholder engagement activities. This includes exercises to map, group and prioritise our existing stakeholder relationships, as well as to consider the need for developing existing or new relationships. During 2010/11, we will be utilising our internal stakeholders and governance groups to assist in this process.

We have identified seven key stakeholder groups on which our continued success is dependent, to some degree, and here we outline some of the ways we have engaged with them over the last year.


MORE INFORMATION

In this report:

Our governance
Our material issues and risks
Working with others


PARTNERS

Why?

Our Partners are all co-owners of the business, share in its success and have a say in how the business is run. They also have an ‘external voice’ as advocates for our business and all that we do. By engaging with them, we can create a working environment in which everyone can feel valued and reach their potential.

Key interests

• Education and awareness regarding sustainability.
• Employee satisfaction.
• Long-term future of the company and its impact and sustainability.
• Business change and job security.
• Business principles and democracy.

Examples of engagement

• Annual Partner Survey.
• AGMs and other meetings.
• Printed publications, including letters pages in the Gazette and the Chronicle.
• Regular roadshows and presentations, including video presentations by the Chairman and Managing Directors.
• Online communication tools such as our intranet.
• Councils, forums and committees at local, divisional and Partnership level.
• CSR governance groups (see page 4).

Outcomes and actions

• Redesign of 2010 Partner Survey (see page 12).
• Changes to the Partnership Council arrangements and ways of working (see page 12).
• The Partnership Council will be updated on the proposed plans for the community strategy review later this year (see page 21).
• Council discussions covered topics such as the pension scheme, training and support for Partners during periods of change, outsourcing and overseas expansion in 2009/10.