Infographic: Waitrose and John Lewis sales fall as early Easter dents revenue

Upmarket grocer Waitrose posted a 24.1% decline in sales to £114.09m for the week ending April 2. However it said “a more meaningful comparison” against 2015’s post-Easter week revealed a 1.8% uplift in sales.

Despite the timing of Easter 2015 providing a tough comparative, Waitrose said promotions drove “strong” sales in some categories, as non-food performed “particularly well” owing to the retailer’s spring cleaning campaign.

Wines and spirits also posted “excellent” sales compared to the post-Easter week last year. Champagne sales jumped 28%, Waitrose said, while sales of whiskies and cognac advanced 21% and 24% respectively.

Ambient products were hardest hit by the timing of Easter, as sales within that category dropped 28.2% compared to the same week last year.

Meat, fish, frozen and dairy reported a 27.5% decline, while sales in Waitrose’s chilled, fruit, bakery, vegetables and horticulture categories suffered an 18.9% fall.

John Lewis

The impact of this year’s earlier Easter weekend was less stark at John Lewis, where sales dipped 2.3% to £83.33m.

When comparing the two weeks of trade either side of Easter to the same period last year, John Lewis said sales increased 9.4%.

The department store chain’s electricals, home and technology division again proved the standout performer, as sales advanced 8.3% compared to the same week last year.

Apple products including the iPad Pro and iPhone helped boost sales in its communication technology category by 22.7%. Vision and large electricals also reported a “good” week, helping sales in electricals, home and technology rise 18.9% over the two-week Easter period.

John Lewis said the lack of comparable Easter trade last week had a bigger impact on its home category, which posted a 6.6% decline in sales year on year.

But big-ticket items performed well as beds enjoyed a 26.7% uplift in sales, while dining furniture advanced 3.7%.

Fashion sales dropped 7.6% compared to the same week last year as cooler weather dented sales. But John Lewis said handbags and women’s shoes bucked the wider trend, as sales increased 4.3% and 6.1% respectively.