John Lewis rental homes? They could be on the way as the partnership looks for new business

Lewis turning landlord is one of the options being considered as part of a strategic review, an update on which emerged as Argos brought the curtain down on its famous catalogue, writes James Moore

Your future John Lewis home? The partnership is looking at a series of potential new ventures (Getty)

Will the back end of the 2020s see people kitting out their John Lewis rental home’s garden with plants bought at a John Lewis horticultural centre before attacking the lawn with a rented mower from John Lewis Equipment Hire?

That’s the tantalising prospect set out in a letter to the partnership’s staff from Sharon White, who became chair earlier this year. It updates progress on her strategic review and outlines a number of new businesses being investigated.

The heavy weather on planet retail has recently knocked even this high-street stalwart off its feet, exacerbated, of course, by the pandemic. The bonuses paid to staff, as the owners of the business, have evaporated. Store closures have been announced. Job cuts too.