Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales for John Lewis last week (to Saturday July 14) were down 6.2%.
The department store group’s director of merchandising operations Jon Williams said the continued hot weather and sporting events impacted performance.
Home sales were down 11%. However, Jon noted that summer merchandise had “a strong week, seeing sales rise by 11%, and outdoor furniture continues to perform well, up 9%. Hydration, which includes reusable water bottles, saw an uplift of 24% and beach towels were up 23%, as customers prepared to head off on their summer holidays”.
EHT (Electrical & Home Technology) sales were down 4.6%, although “Vision continued to perform well, driven by sales of TVs. Small electricals had another good week, driven by cooling and air purifiers. Also floorcare such as vacuum cleaners performed well due to new product launches.”
Jon continued: “Fashion sales were down 3.5%. However womenswear had a good week, with sales up 5.6%. Own-brand was a particular standout, up 29.4%, with the new collection from Kin up 103%. Elsewhere, warm weather clothing continued its good performance, with sales up 14%.”
