But if the Money postbag is to be believed, most John Lewis customers were unaware of the change. And Martyn Hocking, editor of Which? says: "John Lewis is known for its great customer service, so the change to its never knowingly undersold policy is very disappointing. Customers would naturally expect any price matching policy to relate to the up-front cost of a product, excluding the value of added extras such as warranties and guarantees. As such, we feel that the amended policy is misleading and will lead to frustration for many shoppers."
But Natalie Berg, research director at retail analysts Planet Retail, says John Lewis’s move was perhaps inevitable: "The internet has put the power to compare prices in the hands of all of us; some shoppers now use smart phones to check prices as they walk around a store. John Lewis has realised that while price is important, it’s not the factor in where to buy. The fact that John Lewis has been one of the winners on the high street in recent months suggests consumers are not just looking for the lowest prices, but they want value – and the perception is that John Lewis delivers this." |
