John Lewis pays first annual staff bonus in four years as profits rise

Payment of 2% at employee-owned partnership follows sales increase to 13.4bn

The owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has paid an annual bonus to workers for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose by 6%.

The retail group's 69,000 employees - which it calls partners - will receive a bonus of 2% of salary after it recorded an increase in sales and profits.