Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales for John Lewis were down 7.9% last week (to Saturday June 30) on last year, with the high temperatures impacting sales.
The department store group’s director of operations development Simon Russell said: “Home sales were down 13.5%, although Outdoor Living continues to perform strongly. Low tog duvets saw sales rise by 36% and picnic products were up 27% as customers prepared to head outside to enjoy the weather. Hydration, which includes reusable water bottles, also saw an uplift of 26%.
“EHT [Electricals & Home Technology] sales were down 6.8%. Vision continues to perform well, with customers purchasing TVs to watch the World Cup. And small electricals had a strong week, with fans and air purifiers seeing triple digit percentage growth. Elsewhere, beverages such as coffee machines enjoyed a good week and sales in wearable tech were up driven by new launches.”
He added: “Fashion sales were down 3.5%. However, the rise in temperatures helped drive warm weather clothing, which was up 27%. It was also a record week for sunglasses, with sales up 79%.”
