John Lewis
/ˌdʒɒn ˈluːɪs/
/ˌdʒɑːn ˈluːɪs/
(also John Lewis & Partners)
- a British company that owns a chain of department stores (= large shops selling many types of goods). Employees are all partners in the company and receive a share of the profits each year. John Lewis also owns the supermarket chain Waitrose. The original John Lewis (1836-1928) started the company with a small shop in Oxford Street in London in 1864. Since 2007 the company has become well known for its Christmas adverts, which usually tell a story.