Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales for John Lewis & Partners last week (to Saturday November 30) were up 60.4% on the same week as last year, with Black Friday taking place a week later this year.
Compared with the Black Friday period in 2018, sales were up 2.1% – which represents a new record week of sales for the department store group.
Promotions started earlier at the retailer this year to reflect Black Friday extending across a longer period: 11 days from Friday November 22 to Monday December 2 compared to eight days from Monday November 19 to Monday November 26 in 2018.
Total sales for the first 10 days of this year’s John Lewis Black Friday event (from November 22 to December 1) were up 9.5% compared to the same 10-day period around Black Friday last year (from November 16 to November 25).
Operations director Bérangère Michel commented: “Sales were driven by demand for our Black Friday deals and competitor offers, which we price-matched through our commitment to our Never Knowingly Undersold policy. The continued strength of our gifting and Christmas assortment also contributed to strong sales.
“Both our shops and website traded well, with the extended sales period delivering smooth operations across our distribution channels.
“The busiest hour for customers to shop John Lewis deals online was 9am to 10am on November 29 and there was a 43% increase in traffic to the John Lewis & Partners App during the week compared with the same week last year.
“A number of our shops also saw record sales over the seven days. Fashion sales were up 71% compared with the same week last year with a record week of sales across menswear, nursery and beauty. Best sellers included premium fragrances, Barbour clothing for both men and women and the Joie Spin infant car seat.
“Home sales were up 18% compared with the same week last year. We saw particularly strong sales of Gifts, Cook and Dine products and decorations as customers started preparations for Christmas.
“Our best sellers in Home included the Neom Organics Wellbeing Pod, Gin Glasses and John Lewis & Partners 400 Thread Count Egyptian Cotton Bedding.
“Electrical and home technology sales were up 81% compared with the same week in 2018. White goods, audio and small electricals had a particularly strong week. Best selling products included Apple Airpods and Google Home Mini.”
