Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
In the week (to November 12) that John Lewis introduced customers to its Christmas ad campaign, ‘Buster the Boxer’, sales totalled £112.4m – up 1.8% on the year.
The department store group’s buying director of EHT (Electricals & Home Technology) Johnathan Marsh said: “With our ‘Buster the Boxer’ advert already viewed over 52 million times and shared over 1 million times on social media, this week we anticipate that our soft toy Buster and friends will continue to prove popular with customers, while the advert-themed windows at [John Lewis’ flagship store on London’s] Oxford Street also drew a crowd over the weekend.”
He noted that Home saw an uplift in sales, finishing the week up 0.7%. Sales of filled bedding items were up 10.4% as customers purchased warm winter duvets during a week of wintery weather. Beds also sold well last week and were 18.8% up on the year; an indication that customers are thinking about preparing their homes for guests over Christmas.
But fashion was the strongest performer, with the cold weather contributing to a 4.5% sales uplift. Fashion accessories were a stand-out favourite – up 32.6% on the year – suggesting that customers are starting to think about piecing together their Christmas party outfits. Schoolwear also had a good week, with sales up 60.7%.
But EHT sales dipped slightly below last year, finishing at -0.1% in a week that was up against the launch of the iPad Pro in 2015. Audio & Connected Home had a successful week with sales up 12.4%, as customers continue to embrace new smart home technologies.
