John Lewis sales suffer in heatwave
John Lewis saw its sales fall by 4.3% year-on-year last week as the UK basked in the heatwave and footfall declined in its stores.
With temperatures rising in excess of 30°C, warm weather items such as natural low tog duvets and outdoor living products proved popular.
Electricals and home technology sales climbed by 6.4% boosted by buoyant trade in fans and air conditioning units. In addition, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer enjoyed its biggest week since launch. The Pokémon GO phenomenon also bolstered the category, with sales of portable mobile chargers up 86%.
The heatwave had a big impact on the fashion and home categories which finished the week with sales down 7% and 11.2% respectively. The dip in footfall meant that big ticket items in the home category had a slower week and fashion sales were affected by a drop off in schoolwear purchases.
Meanwhile, the John Lewis Heathrow store benefited from the start of the school holidays with sales up 16.5% on the corresponding period last year.
