• John Lewis Partnership sales dropped 1.2% to £208.7m last week
  • Total sales at John Lewis department store grew 2.8% year-on-year to £80.4m
  • Waitrose sales fell 3.5% to £128.3m

 

Strong fashion sales at John Lewis drove an overall 2.8% year-on-year uplift at the department store retailer last week.

Total sales at John Lewis department store came in at £80.4m for the seven days to March 4 after fashion sales jumped 7.7%.

The retailer said there was an uplift in both mens and womenswear as a result of matching a competitor promotion.

Beauty, wellbeing and leisure sales also grew 6.6%, compared with the same week last year.

However, sales at the retailer’s home department dropped 3.4%. This category came up against tough comparatives as Mother’s Day fell on March 6 last year.  

Waitrose

Waitrose was also hit by the later fall of Mother’s Day with sales falling 3.5% to £128.3m last week, compared with the same week last year.

Consequently sales at the upmarket grocer’s home and leisure category, which includes cards and gifts, dropped 19.4%, while chilled, fruit, vegetables and horticulture, and bakery sales fell 3.9%.

Shrove Tuesday celebrations generated an uplift in key ingredients with lemons up by a sharp 40% and eggs rising 12%.

Overall partnership sales came in at £208.7m last week, down 1.2% year-on-year.

 

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