John Lewis sales boosted by good weather last week
The good weather last week helped John Lewis to increase its sales by 6.6% year-on-year.
Trade was busy both in the branches and online and the retailer expects the strong performance to continue as it heads towards Mother’s Day later this month.
Meg Lustman, John Lewis buying director for fashion, said: “A fantastic result as last year’s performance included Mother’s Day sales. The weather was in our favour, with a mild but cloudy start to the week leading to a glorious weekend.”
Online sales were up 37% on the year driven by a 60% increase in womenswear sales as customers updated their spring wardrobes. Online beauty sales online were also strong, rising by 40%.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Electrical and home technology sales climbed by 15% with double-digit growth in most areas. The retailer said good availability on tablets supported a 39% increase online. It also reported an overall trend back towards laptops with computing sales rising by 36%.
Sales in the home directorate edged up 0.9% helped by a 15.2% rise in sales of furniture. Upholstery sales were particularly strong, climbing by 18.5%, as customers looked to benefit from the retailer’s seven-day delivery offer.
Fashion sales rose by 3.5% boosted by a 71% surge in sales of sunglasses. Sales of nursery products and children’s shoes were also buoyant, rising by 13.3% and 14.6% respectively.
Lustman added: “Overall a strong performance, with it all to play for and Mother’s Day at the end of the month. Stock availability is good, and with the warm weekend ahead everything is in place for another great week.”
