John Lewis chairman Sir Stuart Hampson said there were “cheers all around” the today as 68,000 staff, from board directors to part-time supermarket check-out workers, discovered their share of a record bonus pool.

Staff at John Lewis were handed a bonus equivalent to almost eight weeks' pay today, as the british retailer banked profits of £252m (€367.3m).

Department stores-to-Waitrose supermarket chain John Lewis said today it was confident of extending its market-busting performance into 2006.