John Lewis Partnership Turns to Google Cloud to Meet Growing Demand and Maintain World-Famous Customer Service

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Cloud today announced an extended partnership with the John Lewis Partnership, comprising of the John Lewis & Partners department stores and Waitrose & Partners shops. The employee-owned, heritage retail group now has 50 department stores and is turning to Google Cloud to adjust, refine and scale up its e-commerce platform, across web and mobile, to meet growing customer demands?all with a goal of further strengthening its renowned customer service capabilities.

"We have learned firsthand from years of working together that Google Cloud's solutions are exceptional," said Andrew MacInnes, CTO at John Lewis Partnership. "Fundamentally, we're trying to put data at the heart of everything we do, supporting our business' ability to operate as the retail landscape shifts. Having Google Cloud on this journey with us means we're able to move quickly while taking fewer risks and staying true to our company culture."

Google Cloud and the John Lewis Partnership began working together in 2014, with the forward-thinking retailer using G Suite to improve internal collaboration and productivity among its store Partners. In 2018, Google Cloud created a centralized platform to connect data across several levels of the organisation to help accommodate the store's rapid online growth. The company is now engaged with Google Cloud across two distinct pillars:

• E-commerce transformation ? John Lewis & Partners and Google Cloud have worked together to re-platform the company's e-commerce systems using Google Kubernetes Engine and microservices concepts. This work has made it possible to test new capabilities for their customers more rapidly so that they can provide a superior experience at digital retail.
• Partnership Data Platform (PDP) ? John Lewis & Partners, Google, and Google Cloud partners are also working together to build a data management platform to automate decision-making and provide easier access to customer information. The platform serves as the foundation for AI and machine learning projects, allowing for more accurate customer insight and segmentation, ultimately creating smarter service and a better consumer experience.

Finally, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday fast approaching, John Lewis & Partners is ramping up its cloud capacity and working with Google Cloud to ensure orders are fulfilled with lightning-fast efficiency?so that customers are completely satisfied.

"John Lewis & Partners is known for their innovation and amazing customer service, and it is our honor to work with them to not only meet, but also surpass their customer expectations with Google Cloud technology," said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. "With the help of Google Cloud, John Lewis & Partners can continue to deliver a personalized customer experience in a rapidly evolving retail landscape."

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud provides organizations with leading infrastructure, platform capabilities and industry solutions, along with expertise, to reinvent their business with data-powered innovation on modern computing infrastructure. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently, modernize for growth and innovate for the future. Customers in more than 150 countries turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud