Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
A week of unseasonably warm weather affected business at John Lewis in the week to October 5, with sales up by a modest 2.8%.
But, noted Ed Connolly, Buying Director, EHT for the department store group, “there was a positive start for our first proper week’s sales of Christmas merchandise, with double-digit growth on last year, and a corresponding increase in Cooking and Dining”.
Electricals and Home Technology saw a good performance too, with sales up 15.1%, “and showing the sort of momentum we need as we run into the peak trading period”. Among the winners were large electrical appliances (up nearly 18%) and “a terrific performance from small electrical appliances (up 45%) with great strides forward in food preparation, helped perhaps by some high-profile coverage of home bread-making habits.”
He concluded: “This week should see a turn in the weather, and our business is in great operational shape to make the most of any delayed customer flow that this will bring.”
