Groceries from Waitrose could be sold via Amazon under a deal being discussed by the supermarket chain and the online retail group (The Times £). Waitrose is in talks to sell groceries via Amazon as it battles to regain market share lost in the cost of living crisis (Telegraph). Waitrose is reportedly in talks with Amazon to sell groceries via the internet marketplace, in an attempt to lure in more shoppers and claw back market share (The Guardian).

John Lewis staff this week will get their first chance to quiz Dame Sharon White about her shock resignation from her role chairing the employee-owned retailer. (Daily Mail)

John Lewis has vowed to keep building homes despite the planned departure of Dame Sharon White. (Telegraph)

John Lewis seeks to woo Middle England after Sharon White quits. Her successor will take on one of the toughest jobs in retail. Not only will they seek to return the group to profitability while keeping a lid on costs, they will do so under the intense public scrutiny that is reserved for Middle England’s most beloved retailer. (Financial Times £)

The Times writes: “There is widespread sympathy in retail for the view that White, a retail rookie with no commercial experience, got a hospital pass in 2020… Last month, White said her turnaround plan would take seven years to deliver rather than five. Yet many analysts believe her successor will need to scrap diversification efforts and concentrate on fixing the core business instead.” (The Times £)

Was John Lewis boss Sharon White too clever for the cruel retail world, asks The Guardian’s Sarah Butler. One source said White was used to the “genteel decorum of civil service life” and her leadership team was not quick enough to take “really hard decisions” required to keep a modern retail business humming. (The Guardian)

FT consumer editor Claer Barrett writes: “As the search for her successor begins, I wonder how much the board will acknowledge that the current strategy is not working. Unless it listens to its customers and focuses on the detail of retail, I fear more of them could be joining White in heading for the exit.” (Financial Times £)

Sainsbury’s is now more expensive than Waitrose for a big shop, a study has claimed. (Telegraph).

Sainsbury’s has hit out at Which? after the consumer group said the supermarket had overtaken Waitrose as the most expensive for a big shop if you don’t use a loyalty card. (Sky News)

Wilko will shut the doors on its last remaining high street stores for the final time after the chain’s collapse (Sky News). Wilko: End of an era as shops shut for good (BBC).

There was a mournful, empty feeling in the Wembley High Road branch of Wilko that closed its doors for the last time on Thursday. It was one of 68 stores that the hardware and homeware retailer shut last week, with the final 37 of what was until last month a 400-strong empire closing on Sunday. (The Guardian)

The Daily Mail tips Tesco shares, writing: “Tesco shareholders can afford a turkey or two this Christmas, especially if they bought a year ago. There’s more good news to come as the squeeze on consumers eases.” (Daily Mail)

The Mail advises shareholders to hold on to Greggs shares writing: “The business resembles a perfectly edible cake, but without the icing hoped for in this week’s results. The shares are still worth holding on to, as we wait to see how successful the current expansion plan will be.” (Daily Mail)

Senior managers at Britain’s largest independent chain of petrol stations have shared a £60m payout after it delivered record profits. (The Times £)

Rishi Sunak’s health kick gives Big Tobacco a headache. Plan to phase out sales of cigarettes has turned up the heat on the manufacturers. (The Times £)

Demands are growing for a cut in VAT at pubs, clubs and restaurants as the hospitality sector reels from the devastating impact of train strikes. (Daily Mail)

Luxury goods giant LVMH is set to post a bumper quarter tomorrow as shoppers snap up designer bags. (Daily Mail)

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