Cold weather boosts sales at John Lewis
The John Lewis & Partners department store chain saw its total sales edge up 0.3% last week as the cold weather boosted sales of fashion items.
Sales in the fashion department climbed by 5.6% in the week after sales of cold weather clothing rose by 12%. Some of the best performing categories were cashmere and knitwear where sales were up 33% and 42% respectively. The womenswear category also achieved strong sales with an uplift 13.4%. Own-brand products performed particularly well.
In contrast, home sales fell by 5.8% although the filled bedding category saw a sales increase of 5% as people bought new duvets for the cooler weather. Decorative bedding also had a good week with sales of cushions up 25%. Furthermore, the gift food category achieved an uplift of 14% as customers looked ahead to Christmas.
Meanwhile, sales in the electricals and home technology department edged up 0.5% in the period. The connected home category put in a strong performance, boosted by a 53% increase in sales of smart home products. The gaming category was also strong.
