John Lewis to bring back ‘never knowingly undersold’ promise

John Lewis is reviving its “never knowingly undersold” price promise, which it ditched just two and a half years ago, as part of a marketing blitz as it heads into the all-important Christmas selling season.

The retailer said it would use AI tools to match prices both in-store and online for 25 competitors including Marks & Spencer, Boots, Currys, House of Fraser and, on technology only – Amazon – from Monday.

Under the new scheme, if customers can show within seven days they have found an item at a cheaper price at one of the 25 brands, then they will be refunded the difference.

Peter Ruis, head of the department store group, said John Lewis was making a multimillion-pound investment in the relaunch of the slogan – which it used for nearly a century before it was dropped in February 2022 – including in the technology, price changes and marketing.

He said 30,000 prices would be adjusted in the first week, backed by a big TV campaign featuring a voiceover by the actor Samantha Morton and a reworking of a Paul Simon song by the singer Laura Mvula.

Ruis said he had begun working on bringing back the never knowingly undersold policy in February, shortly after rejoining the staff-owned group, as he said the removal of the price promise had led shoppers to lose faith they were getting the best value with John Lewis.

Ruis’s predecessor, Pippa Wicks, had ditched the pledge as the retailer’s profits dived amid pressure to match rivals’ prices, with the promise also having lost relevance because it did not apply to online-only retailers.

He said new technology and a more focused approach would give the slogan a modern twist. “It has always been amazing. It just has to be appropriate for the arena we are in now.”

Ruis said: “We are reimagining never knowingly undersold for how customers shop today – offering great quality, service and prices in store and online – and restarting the conversation as to what it means to live knowingly in the 21st century.

“One hundred years ago John Spedan Lewis created Britain’s most innovative and famous brand mantra. It defines why John Lewis is so special, and its unique position in the retail landscape.”

The new scheme has been tested on 7,000 customers in recent weeks and 63% said they were more likely to buy from the department store as a result.