John Lewis sales down 6.8% last week
John Lewis saw its sales fall by 6.8% year-on-year last week as the retailer faced strong comparatives from the run-up to Easter last year.
Fashion sales edged down 2% although there were uplifts in sales of women’s warm weather clothing and accessories as customers updated their summer wardrobes. Men’s formalwear, women’s occasionwear and children’s shoes also performed well.
Home sales fell by 12.5% on last year although the finer weather meant the outdoor living category had a “superb” week with sales rising by 55% boosted by strong sales of outdoor furniture.
Meanwhile, sales in electricals and home technology dropped by 4.3% although new TV ranges delivered double-digit growth and fan sales also put in a good performance.
Ed Connolly, John Lewis buying director for fashion, said: “This week was up against the week running up to the Easter holiday last year resulting in weekly sales 6.8% down compared to the same week last year. The recent finer weather was reflected in our branch sales while online performance continued its growth at 16.1% up year-on-year.
“As summer approaches and the warm weather looks set to stay, we feel confident that our strong spring/summer assortments will pay dividends in the coming weeks.”
