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It has been on the cards for 18 months and now it’s official.

John Lewis Partnership is retiring its “Never knowingly undersold” slogan this summer as a result of changes in the way people shop.

The retailer said in an announcement that the proposition is “no longer enough to assure trust” because it isn’t applicable to online-only retailers and growing numbers of people are choosing to shop online.

John Lewis explained that “Never knowingly undersold” is set to be replaced by a new approach – “Quality and value” – which will apply to sales made both in store and online.

It is thought that John Lewis is working on a new slogan, to be unveiled at a later date, to fit the new approach around quality and value.

Writing in an article for ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 about the decision to drop “Never knowingly undersold”, Claire Pointon, customer director of John Lewis Partnership, said “shopping has changed beyond recognition” since the slogan was first launched by John Spedan Lewis in 1925 and “it makes absolute sense to consign it to history”.

Sharon Lewis, the chairman of John Lewis Partnership, initially floated the idea of dropping "Never knowingly undersold" in August 2020.

As part of the change, the retailer has pledged a £500m investment, which it said will allow it to focus on “quality at great value prices”.

This investment is 25% higher than the amount it spent on keeping prices affordable last year, according to John Lewis.

It further promised to continue to monitor other retailers’ prices and committed to keeping its founding philosophy of treating customers fairly. 

John Lewis added that it will also focus on providing “better and more personalised” offers and rewards through its loyalty scheme.

Pippa Wicks, executive director of John Lewis, said: “Customers are tightening their belts and we’re responding so John Lewis is more affordable for every customer, every day whether shopping in-store or online.  

“'Never knowingly undersold' has been a cherished sign of trust for John Lewis for a century but it doesn't fit with how customers shop today as more purchases are made online.

“Our new £500m investment means all our customers can trust they’re getting the quality, style and service they expect from John Lewis at great value prices.”

As part of its focus on value, the retailer launched a more affordable own-brand range, Any Day, last year.

White is seeking to modernise John Lewis Partnership, which fell to a £517m loss in the 2020/21 financial year because of the pandemic and what it described as a “pronounced shift to online”.