John Lewis sales up 2.7% last week as warm weather shaped the pattern of trade
John Lewis increased its sales by 2.7% year-on-year during its clearance sale last week despite the warmer weather impacting footfall in the shops.
The retailer said trade was particularly strong online with sales finishing 21.9% higher than the previous year.
Trade became tougher in the shops as the summery weather kicked in. The strongest performers against last year included the Chester, Ipswich, Exeter, Cardiff and Stratford stores.
Looking at the directorates, fashion achieved the biggest percentage increase on the same week last year with growth of 7.7%. The best performance came from warm weather merchandise with a 29% increase in sales of women’s swimwear and nightwear, and a 17.6% rise in sales of fashion accessories.
Home had a tougher week with sales edging down 3.3% overall. Despite this, the outdoor living category achieved an uplift of 94% and, within that, the outdoor buildings category achieved its single biggest year-on-year sales increase.
Electrical and home technology sales grew by 4.8% and there were first half records for both the small and large electrical categories as the former benefited from “huge” sales of fans.
Tim Harrison, director of store development at John Lewis, said: “The second week of Clearance is an important week during the first half and everyone worked hard to deliver the 2.7% growth. There is no doubt that while the warmer weather has been a pleasant change, it has played its part in shaping the pattern of trade.”
