John Lewis sales down 1.8% last week
Sales at the John Lewis department store chain were down 1.8% last week on the same period last year as the continued heatwave in the early part of the week impacted trade.
Electrical and home technology sales edged up 0.9% as the retailer’s communications technology category benefited from pre-order sales of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 tablet and strong sales of smart watches. In addition, there was a 47% increase in sales of vacuum cleaners.
Fashion sales rose by 0.7% led by a good womenswear performance particularly in own brand products. The retailer’s Kin brand saw the strongest growth with sales up 67%.
Meanwhile, home sales were down 6.7% in the week although customers did begin to buy items from new autumn/winter ranges. The retailer said its new season own brand House range was particularly popular with sales rising by 19% on the same week last year. In the gifts, cook and dine category, outdoor cooking and party products continued to perform well. Another strong performer was the outdoor furniture category where sales were up 18%.
