IADS Exclusive – Partners for richer, for poorer: from John Lewis to REI, the good and the bad of shared capitalism

Depending on countries, there are different ways of sharing company ownership, whether it’s through partnerships, worker cooperatives, ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans, collective pension trusts in which employees do not have to put up their own money) in the US, or employee stock purchase plans, which allow employees to buy company stock at a discount. Company ownership can also be shared with customers. 
At a time when younger generations look for more meaningful jobs and a sense of belonging in responsible companies, shared capitalism in its different forms is interesting to consider. Taking the opportunity of the IADS welcoming John Lewis & Partners department store among its members, the article reviews three other retailers with different shared capitalism models besides the partnership model: System U supermarkets in France, Walmart, and outdoor retailer REI in the US. How do these models work? What are the benefits for the stakeholders and the limitations for companies?
 

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