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Staff at John Lewis received record bonuses this year as the company announced a payment of £181.1 million for its staff, equivalent to more than ten weeks' pay.

The bonus will be distributed among the firm's 69,000 eligible employees, with every 'partner' receiving a bonus worth 20 per cent of their salary.

The John Lewis Partnership, which operates John Lewis department stores and grocer Waitrose reported pre-tax profit for the year to January 26th 2008 of £379.8 million, up 18.7 per cent.

Operating profit at the group's department stores were up 12 per cent to £189.9 million and the retailer increased its market share over the year by 0.5 per cent to 19.3 per cent. Like-for-like sales were up five per cent.

Operating profit at Waitrose was up 22 per cent, to £212.1 million, with like-for-like growth of 3.6 per cent.

Charlie Mayfield, chairman of John Lewis Partnership, said: "While we expect trading conditions to continue to be challenging in the year ahead, we are confident that the diversity of our business and our partnership model makes us resilient and able to perform well even in the most testing market conditions."

Sales growth slowed in the second half of the year against tougher economic
conditions, dropping back to 5.2 per cent in the second half year compared with 6.1 per cent in the first half.

John Lewis said it expected sales to be further affected by the housing slowdown, as consumers make less home-related purchases.

Sales for the first five weeks of the year to March 1st are up two per cent in John Lewis while at Waitrose, which tends to be less affected by a downturn in consumer confidence, sales are up eight per cent.