I don’t understand why a loss-making enterprise should be expected to remain open for a certain section of York society, just to provide them with a pleasant shopping experience.

Like many other retail businesses John Lewis is in retreat from the High Street and out-of-town shopping centres.

They have a good business model but can’t compete with private super powers like Amazon, who build huge warehouses on low rateable land, fill them with low-paid workers and then pay ridiculously low amounts in tax revenues.

They monopolise the market because most people will always buy at the lowest price possible - and John Lewis customers will be amongst them.

Capitalism thrives because in a dog-eat-dog world it’s what makes companies efficient and keeps prices down.

Mike Race, Byron Drive, York