John Lewis scraps its famous price promise after a century

Last orders for a ‘never knowingly undersold’ bargain: John Lewis scraps its famous price promise after a century

• John Lewis will scrap its price promise, which it introduced in 1925, next week
• The slogan ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ holds the retailer to reasonable pricing
• Lots of savings can be made on items from homeware to fashion before it ends
• SARAH RAINEY rounds up the best products to price-match at John Lewis — from laptops to lingerie 

For 97 years, it has been a promise held dear by middle-class shoppers everywhere.

John Lewis’s ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ slogan is a hallmark of trust, decency and reasonable pricing, a comforting sign of stability on the ever-changing British High Street.

Introduced in 1925, the premise is simple: if customers can find an item they’ve bought at John Lewis for sale cheaper elsewhere (in a bricks-and-mortar shop, not an online-only retailer), John Lewis will refund the difference.

But now, after revealing earlier this year that just 1 per cent of shoppers are taking advantage of the long-standing pledge, the department store is due to ditch it for good next week.

Executive director Pippa Wicks said it simply ‘doesn’t fit with how customers shop today, as more purchases are made online’.

From Monday, ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ will be consigned to history, with shoppers unable to get their money back on items they’ve purchased in-store.

So, with just two days left, SARAH RAINEY rounds up the best products to price-match at John Lewis — from laptops to lingerie. 

Buy it at John Lewis, fill in the Never Knowingly Undersold form with details of the cheaper price and you will be refunded the difference. So here’s how to bag a bargain while you still can . . .

PERFECT PRINT: Ideal for a wedding, garden party or posh dinner out, this Chi Chi London floral-print midi dress has ruffle-cap sleeves. JOHN LEWIS: £60 SELFRIDGES: £35 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £25

Orla Kiely Alma armchair: John Lewis: £1,099 Furniture World: £669 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £430 Le Creuset Signature Shallow Casserole dish: JOHN LEWIS: £270 POTTERS COOK SHOP:£204.95 REFUNDABLE SAVING: £65.05

Gucci Statement Ovals: JOHN LEWIS: £330 SUNGLASSES HUT: £231 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £99 Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 laptop: JOHN LEWIS: £1,399 CURRYS: £899 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £500

Ted Baker trainers: John Lewis: £66 Robert Goddard: £55 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £11 ‘Temptress’ bra: John Lewis: £31 House of Fraser: £24 REFUNDABLE DIFFERENCE: £7

Never Knowingly Undersold applies to items bought in John Lewis stores and online. 

You can submit a price-match request in-store, on the phone or by filling in an online form.

If you’ve already bought the item from John Lewis, you need to have your order details and receipt — and must submit the request within 28 days.

If you haven’t bought the item already, but have found it for sale cheaper elsewhere, you’ll need full details of both items, including the name, product code, colour, size and price.

The price-match pledge applies to items sold by ‘High Street competitors’, either in shops or online. 

These must not be online-only retailers, and also excluded are pop-up shops, factory outlets, market stalls and companies that are in administration or closing down.

Shoppers may be forgiven for wondering: ‘Why not just buy the cheaper item in the first place?’ However, any John Lewis purchases — especially electricals and furniture — come with one to five-year guarantees, which go beyond those from the manufacturers.

Its returns policy extends to 35 days, much longer than most other retailers, and it will refund the delivery charge if an item is returned within 14 days.

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