John Lewis says systems withstood the test of Black Friday
John Lewis said its systems stood up to the test of Black Friday when it received an unprecedented peak in customer orders.
It also reported that sales edged up 0.6% year-on-year last week and that sales have risen by 11% overall over the Christmas trading period. Last week’s online sales rose by 10% year-on-year.
The retailer said: “It is clear that the emerging story of this Christmas is how the changing shopping habits of British consumers are impacting retailers’ delivery operations, with the demand from Black Friday resulting in an unprecedented peak in customer orders.
“At John Lewis, our systems, processes and Partners have stood up to this test, and customers can shop with confidence across our delivery options. Customers continue to embrace the advantages of omni-channel, with Click & Collect orders up 32%, and sales assisted by Partners in shops, either on tablets or kiosks, up 31%.”
Never Miss a Retail Update!Fashion sales climbed by 5.2% year-on-year last week boosted by strong uplifts in sales of the retailer’s own-brand Kin label, childrenswear and premium beauty.
Within the home directorate, sales edged up 0.1% to follow the same trend as last year when customers left their gift buying to the last minute.
Following a peak in sales on Black Friday, sales within electricals and home technology were more subdued, falling by 4% on the same week last year.
Andrew Murphy, retail director at John Lewis, said: “This is the time of year when all aspects of retailers’ operations are put to the test, and I’m very proud of how John Lewis Partners in our shops, distribution network and contact centres, have risen to the challenge and continued to deliver fantastic levels of service at their busiest time of year.
“It’s been a solid week of trade, and our results through the whole pre-Christmas period are encouraging. With fewer than 10 days to go until Christmas, it’s still all to play for.”
