John Lewis sales up 4.2% last week
John Lewis said its sales increased by 4.2% year-on-year last week, driven by strong sales of electrical and technology products.
The retailer said the week’s trade had been “positive” despite the mixed weather across the country. While the stores increased their sales by 3.1%, online sales were up 7.5% on the same week last year.
Of the buying directorates, electricals and home technology put in the best performance with sales rising by 26.1%. The increase was driven by buoyant sales of audio imaging, large electricals, tablets and telecoms.
In the home directorate sales were down by 1.9% despite strong performances from textiles and carpets as many customers took advantage of the bank holiday weekend to freshen their furnishings.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Fashion sales were also down on the same week last year with a 7.2% decline although the retailer enjoyed good sales of fashion fabrics, haberdashery, men’s formalwear and men’s own brand clothing.
At a branch level, the best performances came from the Chester, Swindon, Tamworth, Poole and Milton Keynes stores, all of which achieved significant increases.
The retailer’s catering outlets enjoyed a buoyant week, increasing their sales by 21.8%. The Peter Jones store in London’s Sloane Square benefited from its proximity to the Chelsea Flower Show, turning in a 29% gain on the same week last year. It also recorded its busiest day ever on Friday for catering as a whole.
Looking ahead David Barford, director of selling, group L&S at John Lewis, said: “As we move into the summer period we have the Jubilee and Olympics to compete with from last year, but as we started this week with some wet and windy conditions we are well placed to make the most of the shopping weather.”
