Sales at John Lewis up 3.6% last week
Sales at the John Lewis department store chain rose by 3.6% year-on-year last week despite there being one less trading day across its shops due to Easter.
Fashion sales were down 3.2%, largely due to the week’s cooler weather compared with the same period last year. This led cold weather clothing sales to climb by 9% while womenswear sales saw an overall increase of 1.8%. Premium accessories had a strong week with watch sales in the category rising by 27%.
Home sales were down 1.4%, although there was a 5.9% uplift in sales in the textiles and home accessories category.
Meanwhile, electricals and home technology sales increased by 15.6% as trade was driven by particularly strong sales over Easter. The audio, connected home and vision categories all performed well. Elsewhere, the small electricals category had a positive week with coffee machines, food prep and vacuum cleaners all achieving an uplift in sales.
