John Lewis received royal warrant from King Charles

John Lewis has been awarded the Royal Warrant of Appointment as supplier of household goods and furniture to King Charles.

Peter Ruis, chief executive of John Lewis, said: “It is a proud moment to be recognized by Her Majesty with her Royal Warrant.

“For 160 years we have focused on delivering excellent customer service and the highest quality products, and the Royal Warrant is testament to the hard work of John Lewis partners and our suppliers.”

The retailer said the advert also reflected its “ongoing commitment to supporting its local communities, whilst upholding high environmental standards”.

The update follows an announcement in May that the King had awarded Waitrose his Royal Warrant of Appointment as a wine and spirits grocer and merchant.

Today’s announcement also follows orders given by the late Queen to John Lewis Reading and John Lewis Oxford Street, while Peter Jones in Sloane Square had royal orders of appointment from Prince Charles and the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Retailers such as John Lewis are pinning their hopes on a boost in Christmas trading after a slump following a dismal budget for the sector.

As shops reel from Rachel Reeves’ decision to saddle the industry with £7bn in extra costs, bumper trading over Black Friday and the festive period is critical this year, experts have warned.

This follows a drop in store footfall in November as customers expected discounts amid post-Budget “spending jitters”.

There have been long-awaited signs of progress in John Lewis’ recovery mission.

The company, which owns 34 department stores, had been accused of losing its way after focusing on non-retail revenue streams, including build-to-rent projects.

However, in recent months there have been signs of revival of the association, which made small profits last year.

Last month, the retailer’s chief executive, Nish Kankiwala, said “the buzz is back on” at the group, which also owns Waitrose.

Nish Kankiwala will step down in March after just two years in the role and become an advisor to the board.

In September, John Lewis announced it would bring back its “never knowingly undersold” price commitment, two years after abandoning it.

The pledge now also applies to online sales, while previously it only applied to purchases in physical stores. The group said it would use artificial intelligence to match prices at 25 major retailers.

The department store chain has been trying to win back customers after a difficult few years in which it cut jobs and closed several stores.