Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Sales at John Lewis for last week (to August 1) ended the half year with 4.2% growth over 2014.
Retail operations development director Simon Russell said: “A lively start to the week, helped by a particularly damp Sunday in most areas, gradually dried out with a quieter end while the sun reappeared and customers enjoyed outdoor activities.”
In shops, Swindon, Ipswich and Newbury performed best for the ‘at home’ format while Southampton and Watford stood out for the full-line shops.
The department store group’s new shop at Horsham had “another very encouraging week, comfortably exceeding expectations”. Online also fared well with sales up 13.3%.
The Home assortments led the way with an 11.2% increase. Furnishing Fabrics and Bedding stood out for Textiles, Lighting and Gift Food for Accessories, and Fitted and Dining in Furniture.
Electrical and Home Technology just missed last year’s result at -0.5% despite a strong week for Vision which was 13.1% up, driven by new technology and a steady week for Accessories, Small Electrical and Audio.
Simon Russell concluded: “Peak holiday season is now upon us and our focus remains on introducing a few surprises for customers with some inspiring new products and propositions – in particular, some fantastic new season’s lines which are starting to appear on the website and in our shops.”
