John Lewis fashion buying director to quit this spring

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 24, 2021

John Lewis’s buying director of fashion is set to stand down after many years at the company. But it seems that the move isn't linked to the retailer’s general restructuring and job-shedding process. Instead, Christine Kasoulis will be leaving to focus on her MBA. 

The senior team member stepped into her current role in 2017. Before that, she was buying director of home for four years after having been brand director since 2009.

Kasoulis will clearly be going out on a high note, despite the retailer's well publicised problems in recent years. It was under her watch that John Lewis recently announced the addition of up to 50 new brands to its fashion and beauty offer. This followed the addition of more than 30 new labels last autumn.

John Lewis Partnership talked up her "highly successful career" at the company and said that she recently played a "crucial" role in developing its fashion, nursery and beauty offering. It also said that she had made a "huge contribution to the business”. 

Her departure comes at a pivotal time for the company as it closes some stores and sees its online sales heavily outstripping those through its physical shops. There have been rumours that, as well as the eight shops it closed in recent months, more of its department stores could be on the chopping block, although the company hasn't confirmed this.