John Lewis and Partners: Two Decades of Customer-First Innovation with Metapack

A Partnership Built to Last

Since opening on Oxford Street in 1864, John Lewis has grown into one of the UK’s most trusted retailers, with 34 department stores and 332 Waitrose shops nationwide, plus a strong online presence. For over 20 years, their partnership with Metapack has been central to delivering seamless shopping across online and in-store channels—covering grocery retailing, department stores, and financial services, all built on their century-old promise: “Never Knowingly Undersold.”

When Shopping Worlds Collided

The retail world has changed dramatically since this partnership began.

“Shopping in 2004 was a very different experience to now. Customers went to shops, they could feel the product, try the product on, and pay with cash. That’s changed immeasurably since then,” said Victoria Evans, Partner & Customer Delivery Lead at John Lewis & Partners.

By 2008, customers wanted the convenience of online shopping but still valued the trusted in-store experience that had made John Lewis famous. The long-standing partnership with Metapack provided the foundation to bridge digital convenience and physical retail—whilst keeping the high service standards customers expected.

“When customers shop across channels with us they spend more, not just in total but actually on the individual channels. It’s all about the closeness of the relationship that you can establish as a brand with your customer,” said Charlie Mayfield, chairman of John Lewis Partnership.

Innovation Through Long-Term Collaboration

The partnership’s strength showed in 2008 when John Lewis and Metapack launched their Click & Collect service, allowing customers to choose from over 200,000 products online for free delivery to any John Lewis or Waitrose store.

This wasn’t just a technical integration—it was the result of deep collaboration. The solution connected John Lewis’s own delivery fleet with Metapack’s carrier management system, with Metapack automatically deciding the best delivery route for each order. A specially designed labelling and tracking system ensures parcels can be followed throughout their journey.

The partnership continued to evolve beyond Click & Collect. John Lewis adopted Metapack Manager across five warehouses, enabling bulk label printing, real-time tracking, and seamless information sharing between stores and customer care teams—all implemented in just four weeks thanks to their established working relationship.

Two Decades of Shared Success

Continuous innovation: Twenty years of collaboration has enabled constant adaptation to changing customer expectations, with each evolution building on previous successes.

Market leadership: Click & Collect became John Lewis’s fastest-growing delivery channel, representing over 40% of online delivery activity.

Better customer experience: Seven-day extended opening hours and convenient local pickup have greatly improved the shopping experience.

Smoother operations: Consolidated store deliveries have reduced delivery failures whilst improving operating costs.

The Strength of Long-Term Partnership

John Lewis continues to evolve with customer expectations whilst staying true to their values.

“The way people shop will continue to evolve. We’ve got one eye on the speed of change, and we appreciated that customers expect a certain experience from John Lewis. We want to make that as seamless as possible across our shops, but also online,” Evans said.

This 20-year partnership shows that long-term collaboration, built on shared customer-first values, creates lasting competitive advantage. It’s not just about technology—it’s about two companies committed to putting customers first, year after year.