Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales at John Lewis were £71m last week (to June 11), up 1.5% on last year.
The department store group’s director of online trade Mark Felix said the lower year-on-year increase followed a strong week last week, due to the fall of half term.
Home sales were steady, up 1.1% on last year. Within this category, Home Accessories and Gifts lifted 5.4%. The Queen’s 90th Birthday also bolstered sales of British heritage products within Gift Food, up162% on last year. Mark Felix said Outdoor Living delivered ‘a particularly strong result’ against last year.
EHT [Electricals & Home Technology] had ‘another great performance’, up 11.4% on last year. Sales of Electricals were up 5.4%, driven by both large and small electrical appliances. Communication Technology also had a good week, up 23.7%, with tablets selling well.
Fashion had a softer week, down 5.4% on last year, with cooler weather meaning sales of high summer lines were slower. But, Mark Felix added, Swimwear and Nightwear performed well (up 8.9%), ‘with customers no doubt preparing for their summer holidays’.
