The Partnership's first computer, 1963

Major advance

The John Lewis division’s relationship with IT can be traced back to the early 1960’s, and to the opening of the new warehouse at Stevenage. Much of the paper work at this new warehouse was still undertaken manually by the General Office, but one of the major advances was the installation of the Partnership’s first computer at in the warehouse 1963. Mainly designed for stock control this huge piece of equipment took up a whole room! So proclaimed the Gazette

You want stock? Tell the computer and it will do the rest – with a little help of course from the Partnership’s transport!

At the forefront of technology

To today’s audience the thought of a computer the size of a room is nothing but laughable, but at the time it was revolutionary! The John Lewis division has since remained at the forefront of new IT technology, constantly adapting and evolving to meet the ever-changing challenges of retail.