GENERAL MERCHANDISE NEWS
John Lewis sales up 8.5% last week as cooler weather boosts trade
19 October, 2016 | by Retail Bulletin
John Lewis increased its sales by 8.5% year-on-year last week as the ongoing cooler weather meant that customers were firmly in the autumn buying mode.
Electricals and home technology sales finished the week up 19.5% as trading benefited from new product launches. Audio and connected home products saw the biggest sales increase at 28.1%, with Nest devices in new colour options being standout favourites with customers.
Fashion sales rose by 7.7% as the drop in temperatures encouraged customers to buy autumn/winter clothing. Womenswear had a successful week with sales up 16.6%.
Meanwhile, the home category faced more challenging trading with sales edging down 0.5%, although the arrival of darker evenings helped lighting sales rise by 6.4%.
