John Lewis sales rose by just 0.1% last week
Sales at the John Lewis department stores edged up 0.1% last week compared to the same period in 2017.
Fashion sales climbed by 4.4% as both the womenswear and menswear categories achieved respective uplifts of 8.9% and 3%. The retailer attributed the increases to cooler and wetter weather encouraging customers to buy warmer clothing and accessories, and to its price matching of a competitor’s promotion.
Electrical and home technology sales improved by 1.3%, helped by an 8.5% rise in the communications technology category due to new product launches. John Lewis saw strong sales of gaming products which climbed by 200% year-on-year following the launch of Forza on Xbox and FIFA on Playstation.
In contrast, home sales were down 6.5% in the week although there was an increase in customers committing to future purchases of sofas and beds. The retailer’s contemporary own brand House range delivered another strong week with sales up 13.5%.
