Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales for John Lewis for last week (to Saturday April 15) rose 11.7% to £84.1m, boosted by the timing of Easter.
Home sales for the week were up 11.1%. The department store group‘s director of retail operations development Simon Russell said seasonal gift food drove this increase, with sales for the category rising by “a huge 260.9% as customers prepared for Easter celebrations”.
He added that Cooking and Dining also saw growth of 15.7%, as customers entertained family and friends over the bank holiday break.
EHT (Electricals & Home Technology) had a strong week too, up 15.2% on last year. Communication technology enjoyed growth of 25.5% as sales of mobile phones and photography rose by 39.1%, and tablets and computers by 21.9%.
Fashion sales lifted 10.3%, as customers transition their wardrobes for the summer months. Women’s casualwear saw an uplift of 41%, while menswear also saw double digit growth with sales up 14.4%. Beauty, wellbeing and leisure also performed well, up 14.7%, with toys and books in particular enjoying a strong week of sales over the school holidays.
