Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales at John Lewis last week (to Saturday June 2) were up 0.1% on last year.
The department store group commented that ‘a particularly warm bank holiday had an impact on sales’.
John Lewis buying director for Home and EHT [Electronics & Home Technology] Johnathan Marsh noted that while Home sales were down 2.4%, the Outdoor Living category “continued to perform well, with sales for the week up 8.7%”.
He added: “Our Summer and Poolside collections also both had strong weeks, and promotional activity within Cookshop helped sales rise by 6.5%.”
EHT had “a strong week”, with sales up 8.9%. Johnathan said: “Vision had a very good week of sales, with TVs and soundbars performing well ahead of the World Cup kicking off later this month. Tablets and computers also performed well, driven by compelling promotions – and it was a record week for smart watches.”
Fashion sales were down 4.5%, although own-brand womenswear had a good week, with Kin by John Lewis a particular standout at +82%. It was also the retailer’s biggest week ever in lingerie, driven by price-matching activity through its Never Knowingly Undersold policy.
New for 2018, John Lewis’ Poolside collection aims to create ‘a laid-back aesthetic for indoor and outdoor spaces, with practical and playful pieces across furniture, textiles and tableware’
