John Lewis brings back famous price match promise with a big change that shoppers will love
JOHN Lewis is bringing back its famous price match promise after axing the service two years ago.
The posh retailer has said its Never Knowingly Undersold pledge will be available once again for shoppers from September 9.
The pledge allows customers to be refunded the difference if they can find a product cheaper at any number of other retailers.
John Lewis first launched the service in 1925 before scrapping it in 2022, as revealed exclusively by The Sun, after customers said it was too complicated and didn’t include online retailers.
But the chain has said it will bring the pledge back from next week, price matching 25 major UK retailers in-store and, crucially, online.
Peter Ruis, who was appointed executive director of John Lewis in January, said: “We are reimagining Never Knowingly Undersold for how customers shop today – offering great quality, service and prices in store and online.
He added: “100 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 price match promise will apply to brands across the technology, fashion and toy sectors including Amazon, Flannels and Smyths Toys. The full list is:
- AO.com
- Amazon
- Apple
- Argos
- Asos
- Boots
- Currys
- Dunelm
- Dreams
- The Entertainer
- Fenwick
- Flannels
- Furniture Village
- Harrods
- Harvey Nichols
- Heal’s
- House of Fraser
- Lakeland
- M&S
- Mama’s and Papa’s
- Next
- Richer Sounds
- Selfridges
- Smyths Toys
- Space NK
John Lewis said the price match promise will also apply to products it makes cheaper within seven days of purchase.
That means if you bought an item that cost £1,000 but John Lewis dropped its price to £900 four days after you bought it, you would be refunded the £100 difference.
The retailer said 30,000 products will be included in the price match promise, with the pledge available on items all-year round including through major sale events like Black Friday.
It will not apply to products included in loyalty pricing – where loyalty members get exclusive discounts on products – or items reduced to clear though.
Sharon White, departing chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, added: “Now is the right time for Never Knowingly Undersold to return in a form that will resonate with customers whether they’re shopping in store or online.
“I’m delighted that Peter and his team are reinvigorating the John Lewis promise to our customers for the 21st century and I am excited to see the brand go from strength to strength, today as Chairman and in future as a customer.”
What other retailers price match?
Here is a list of some retailers that offer price matching:
Boots
Boots promises to refund you the difference if you find an electrical beauty product cheaper within 72 hours of your purchase.
Blacks
Outdoor retailer Blacks has one of the most competitive offerings out there – if you find an item cheaper somewhere else, it will actually knock off 10% of that price if you flag it up to seven days after your purchase.
Curry’s
Curry’s promises to price match all items against any other UK retailer if you find a cheaper deal at any other high street store within seven days of buying your item.
Halfords
Halfords will refund customers the difference if they find anything from gadgets to fitting costs cheaper at a competitor within 14 days.
It says it will price match any branded item even if the product is on special offer and will even price match against its own-brand items if a comparable product is cheaper.
In February 2022, John Lewis said it would axe the Never Knowingly Undersold pledge from its then 34 stores by that summer.
At the time it said it would instead invest £500million into offering “John Lewis quality at great value prices” amid the cost of living crisis.
It added it would expand its popular Anyday brand which was on average a fifth cheaper than its other ranges.
Pippa Wicks, executive director of John Lewis, said at the time the chain had made the move with customers “tightening their belts”.
John Lewis has struggled in recent years, only returning to profit in March for the first time after three years of losses.
In the same month, the chain denied its staff a bonus for the third time out of four years with Dame Sharon White at the company’s helm, with reports suggesting 11,000 staff could lose their jobs by 2029.
History of the John Lewis Partnership
Here's everything you need to know about the retailer...
John Lewis opened his first store in 1864 – a small draper’s shop on Oxford Street, London.
In 1905, it bought control of Peter Jones, with Mr Lewis handing control of the retailer to his son John Spedan Lewis nine years later.
In 1920, John Lewis staff received their first Partnership Bonus in the form of share promises.
Seventeen years later John Lewis bought Waitrose, which included a chain of 10 shops, from Wallace Waite.
In 1970, John Lewis staff received their bonus as cash for the first time.
The turn of the millennium saw Johnlewis.com launch, then in 2018 John Lewis and Waitrose rebranded to John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners.
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