John Lewis’ new boss faces a battle to boost online salesPeter Ruis has quit as boss of John Lewis (Tony Buckingham/John Lewis/PA Wire)Another cloud appeared in an already gloomy sky for John Lewis on Monday, when its managing director, Peter Ruis, announced his surprise departure. Ruis’s turnaround of the retailer will be cut short, just as the group’s chair warns that a period of falling sales is on the horizon. Though John Lewis’ high street presence was in dire need of an update, its switch of leadership could redirect attention to the group’s online platform. But Hyman suggested that Ruis’s successor, former River Island boss Will Kernan, may put more effort into driving the group’s online sales. John Lewis’s next managing director will inherit an increasingly cautious customer base squeezed by high taxes and rising costs.