Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Weather dictated the shape of trade for John Lewis last week, with sales up 1.3% on the year at £72.9m – with the cooler temperatures towards the end of the week prompting customers to return to the shops.
According to the department store group’s buying director for home Christine Kasoulis, Home sales were up 0.7% on the year. She said Outdoor Living products saw a massive spike in popularity in anticipation of the sunny Bank Holiday weekend forecast for this week, finishing the week up 64.6%. It was also a successful week for Beds, which were up 30.8% compared with the same week last year.
EHT (Electricals & Home Technology) sales finished the week up 2% on the year. with mobile phones and tablet computer sales benefiting from the retailer’s three-year guarantees. Audio and Connected Home products also remained popular, seeing another 15.7% uplift on the year.
Christine noted that fashion sales were up 1.2%, with the warmer weather forecast for this week presumably driving a late surge in summer pieces. Beauty Counters also had a strong week, with sales finishing up 5.1%.
