DEPARTMENT STORE NEWS
Sales at John Lewis down 0.3% last week
31 July, 2019 | by Angela Beevers
Sales at the John Lewis department store edged down 0.3 % last week on the same period last year.
The retailer said trade was impacted by the hot weather, particularly in the home department where sales were down 8.5%.
In contrast, electrical and home technology sales rose by 4.1% as the high temperatures helped the retailer to achieve its biggest week of sales for fans, air purifiers and air conditioning units.
Meanwhile, fashion sales were up 3.2%, driven by demand for high summer womenswear items as customers bought new items for the heat.
The back-to-school category also had a good week as customers began buying items for the upcoming new school term. This led sales of school shoes to climb by 4%.
