John Lewis sales down 1.4% last week

Sales at the John Lewis department store chain fell by 1.4% to £78.1 million compared to the corresponding week last year.

Fashion sales declined by 3% which the retailer attributed to the impact of different timings of a competitor price match promotion. However, sales of warm weather clothing were strong with an increase of 17%. The beauty category also performed well, rising by 7.9%.

While home sales were down 5.2% overall, the warm weather drove a 55% increase in outdoor living sales compared to last year.

Meanwhile, electrical and home technology sales rose by 5.4% as trade was boosted by the release of new products from Apple. In addition, the retailer benefited from a 1000% increase in fan sales due to the weather.

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