John Lewis Partnership, the parent company of UK retail brands Waitrose and John Lewis, has announced that James Bailey, managing director of Waitrose, will step down from his role on 30 September 2025.

Bailey, who joined the company in 2020, has played a key role in navigating the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

John Lewis Partnership chairman Jason Tarry stated: “James has done an outstanding job, overseeing significant transformation and growth during a period of change. He's a great colleague and has been a highly valued member of the executive team.

“We will be sad to see James go but understand and respect his decision to step down after five and a half years at the helm. James will leave Waitrose in a much stronger position and I know will be missed by everyone.”

The company is searching for Bailey's successor. In the interim, Tina Mitchell, retail director for Waitrose, will step up as the interim managing director.

Bailey stated: “It's been a great privilege to lead this unique and special business and most especially to get to know all the partners who make it what it is. I'm very proud of everything we’ve achieved together; it’s been a lot of hard work but very rewarding and I’m so happy now to see the business thriving.

“Waitrose is back on a very strong footing with record customer numbers, strong sales growth and a turnaround in profitability so after five and a half years this feels like the right time to hand over the reins. I feel confident that we've laid the foundations for long-term success and have the opportunity now to go from strength to strength.”

In April 2025, the company appointed Andy Mounsey as new chief financial officer (CFO) to drive its financial strategy.

John Lewis Partnership reported a 73% increase in pre-tax profit to £97m for the 52 weeks ended 25 January 2025, partially because of a better performance by Waitrose.

Sales at Waitrose grew 4.4% to £8bn, largely driven by volume growth instead of price.