For the second innovation theme of 2018, the John Lewis Partnership is seeking innovative solutions to help eliminate plastic waste.
We want to identify innovative concepts which could significantly reduce the impact of plastic use in both John Lewis and Waitrose, and helps us make a significant contribution towards the UK Plastics Pact targets:
• 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable
• 70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted
• 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging
• Take actions to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging items through redesign, innovation or alternative delivery methods
As large retailers, John Lewis and Waitrose buy, move and sell thousands of products every day. Across our value chain we currently depend on plastics to make products, to increase shelf life and protect products as they are moved from source to customer. However, in our aim to contribute to a more sustainable future for retail, we need to operate with greater efficiency – doing more with fewer natural resources.
We are always looking at ways to eliminate or use alternatives to plastics where the environmental benefit is clear. This includes using recycled plastic and by-products / waste material in our products, packaging and operations, and encouraging customers to dispose of products and packaging sustainably.
This challenge is open to any business which has a proposition that aligns with the above objectives and also meets the following criteria:
• You are a business that can help John Lewis and Waitrose eliminate plastic waste in innovative ways
• You have deep knowledge and expertise of the challenges around plastic sustainability
• A willingness to openly share information and work collaboratively together on a new proposition to help create a more sustainable retail environment
• And last but not least, an appreciation of the John Lewis Partnership company values and John Lewis and Waitrose brands
JLAB, the startup innovation programme from the John Lewis Partnership, is back for a fifth year and if you have a great idea or technology we’d love you to be part of it.
JLAB is one of the UK’s largest retail tech innovation programmes in the UK and the John Lewis Partnership is famous for innovative products, services and our unique employee ownership model. Run for the first time this year in association with True – Europe’s only retail and consumer sector specialist, operating across the entire investment vertical – we are inviting startups with disruptive tech to join our JLAB journey. This journey will help take your business to the next level and build relationships with the two of the UK’s leading retail brands, John Lewis and Waitrose.
2018 will see lots of changes to JLAB and for the first time it will be run as an all year-round programme. We will also be launching later in the year a number of new activities for those who aren’t a business so watch this space for more details….
Mentorship from John Lewis and Waitrose senior leadership
Product validation from John Lewis and Waitrose experts and customers
Access to a large customer base
Potential investment from the JLAB fund
Office space in John Lewis’ central London HQ and Waitrose HQ in Bracknell and at True’s central London innovation Hub.
The John Lewis Partnership operates 50 John Lewis shops across the UK, johnlewis.com, 353 Waitrose shops, waitrose.com and business to business contracts in the UK and abroad. The business has annual gross sales of over £11.5bn. It is the UK’s largest example of an employee-owned business where all 85,500 staff are Partners in the business.
Waitrose has 353 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 66 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. It combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop – dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. Waitrose also exports its products to 58 countries worldwide and has eight shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. Waitrose’s omnichannel business includes the online grocery service Waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers and waitrosegifts.com for gifts. In recent months, Waitrose has been awarded the much-coveted European-wide Compassion in World Farming ‘Best Retailer Award’, Soil Association’s ‘Best Organic Supermarket Award 2017′ and The Drinks Business’ ‘Retail Buying Team of the Year Award’.
John Lewis operates 50 John Lewis shops across the UK (36 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. John Lewis, ‘Best In-Store Experience 2017’, ‘Best Furniture Retailer 2017’, ‘Best Homewares Retailer 2017’* stocks around 350,000 separate lines in its department stores and johnlewis.com across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products – home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover – delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.
*GlobalData Retail Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2017
True (www.true.global) is Europe’s only retail and consumer sector specialist that operates across the entire investment vertical. Formally True Capital and TrueStart, which were established in 2013, True has total funds under management of £200m and invests in retail and consumer sector business models which represent the future of the industry.
True’s Live Network model brings together its private equity companies, startup innovators, investors and leading industry partners to add value, both strategically and operationally, across the retail and consumer spectrum.