John Lewis sales fall by 1.2% last week
Sales at the John Lewis & Partners department store chain fell by 1.2% year-on-year last week despite an uplift in fashion sales.
Electrical and home technology sales dropped by 1.8% in the week although demand for new audio products drove sales in the category up by 7%. The small electricals category also performed well with a sales uplift of 11%.
Home sales were also down, falling by 4.9% overall. However, sales of fitted furniture and fitted flooring rose by 38% and 8% respectively. In addition, the retailer delivered buoyant sales in the lighting and pictures categories. Meanwhile sales of Halloween products were up 6%.
Fashion sales increased by 3.3% in the week as the retailer’s own brand categories achieved a sales increase of 5.6% due to the popularity of new ranges. Sales were also boosted by the retailer price matching a competitor promotion through its Never Knowingly Undersold policy.
