For the week to August 2, the department store group generated a sales increase every day of the week and an 18 per cent uplift on Saturday.
Both fashion and electricals and home technology performed strongly at John Lewis, but homewares struggled.
John Lewis director of selling operations Nat Wakely said: “It is also very reassuring to see the much better score from our out-of-town branches, which have been finding the going more difficult of late.”
Seven John Lewis branches increased sales, led by its London Oxford Street store. The worst performers included London’s Peter Jones, down 11.6 per cent and John Lewis’s Southampton store, down 10.1 per cent.
The news will provide some reassurance about the health of the UK high street, although long-term consumer confidence remains at an all time low.
Sales at John Lewis-owned grocer Waitrose climbed 3 per cent, lifted by sales of seafood, which were up 25 per cent. Sales of quiches and tarts were up 11 per cent, while continental meats and British cooked meats recorded yearly gains of 13 and 9 per cent respectively.
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