John Lewis to bring back 'Never Knowingly Undersold'

Retailer John Lewis has made a major U-turn on its positioning by bringing back its 100-year-old “Never Knowingly Undersold” pledge as it puts the finishing touches to a new marketing blitz due to launch later this month.

The slogan had been in use since 1925 but back in September 2022 the retailer replaced it with “For All Life’s Moments” in an effort to modernise the company’s appeal. However, new chief executive Peter Ruis said the move had led shoppers to lose faith they were getting the best value.

The overhaul has been tested on 7,000 customers, with 63% saying they were more likely to buy from the department store as a result.

The company 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, Amazon on technology only.

Under the new scheme, which launches on Monday, 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.

Ruis said John Lewis was making a multimillion-pound investment in the relaunch of the slogan, including in the technology, price changes and marketing.

He said 30,000 prices would be adjusted in the first week, backed by a major 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 slogan in February, shortly after rejoining the group. Former CEO Pippa Wicks had ditched the slogal 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.

Ruis 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.

“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.”