John Lewis sales impacted by warm weather last week
Sales at the John Lewis department store chain declined by 7.9% last week compared to the same period last year as the hot weather hit trade.
Fashion sales fell by 3.5% overall although the weather boosted sales of warm weather clothing and sunglasses which rose by 27% and 79% respectively. Women’s own brand fashion also had a good week with sales climbing by 18%.
Home sales dropped by 13.5% despite a strong performance in the retailer’s outdoor living category. The weather also drove a 36% increase in sales of low tog duvets while sales of picnic products were up 27%. In addition, there were strong sales of reusable water bottles which saw an uplift of 26%.
Electrical and home technology sales declined by 6.8% in the week although the vision category continued to perform well as customers bought TVs for World Cup viewing. The small electricals category benefited from good sales of fans and air purifiers which saw triple digit percentage growth. Elsewhere, coffee machines were also popular while sales in wearable tech category benefited from new launches.
