Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales for John Lewis last week (to Saturday March 10) were up 11.6%, mainly due to gifting as a result of Mother’s Day on Sunday March 11 falling two weeks earlier compared with last year.
Home sales climbed 3.9%, with gifting, cook and dine sales up 35.2%, as customers purchased treats ahead of Mother’s Day. Stationery also saw double digit growth while decorative accessories were up 10%.
The department store group’s buying director of EHT (Electricals and Home Technology) Johnathan Marsh commented that EHT sales were up 13.3%. He said: “Small electricals, including coffee machines and foodprep, had a good week driven by strong Mother’s Day sales. Vision also performed well, with TVs, stands and mounts, and soundbars all up on last year.”
He added: “This week, we have some exciting new technology launches, with the next generation Dyson V10 cordless vacuum cleaner and the Samsung S9 mobile phone going on sale.”
Fashion sales were up 17.9%. Womenswear grew 17.7% with own-brand and cashmere performing strongly. Johnathan also noted that beauty had a good week, with fragrance a particular standout with sales up 62%.
