Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Sales at John Lewis rose 2.6% year-on-year last week (to November 21) to a total figure of £117.2m – marking the department store group’s second £100m of the year.
The retailer noted that ‘sales of winter clothing picked up as colder weather hit and there were clear signs that shoppers were planning ahead for Black Friday discounts’. It said the business had been preparing behind the scenes for the ramp up in volume that Black Friday brings, adding that ‘on the day we will have queuing systems in place across both shops and online, to ensure customers have a good shopping experience’.
EHT (Electricals & Home Technology) performed well in the period with sales up 2.2%, driven by demand for the iPad Pro, fitness trackers and mobile phones. But demand for televisions and computers was lower during the week, with customers anticipating Black Friday offers.
Home sales had a slower week at 2.9% down, although browsing for gifts in-store and online was up as customers began planning for Christmas. Bedding also performed well because of the cold snap.
John Lewis director of selling, London and South, David Barford commented: “Customers were clearly planning ahead for Black Friday, looking at the products which are available and researching online so they can take advantage of offers. We have prepared well for the day and will participate through our Never Knowingly Undersold commitment and our own range of special offers.”
