Cool weather heats up sales at John Lewis

By DOMINIC JEFF
Published on 13/10/2012 00:00

The arrival of cooler autumn weather gave John Lewis a boost last week, with the department store chain enjoying a 16.2 per cent sales bounce to £69.9 million.

The employee-owned group said its physical stores benefited, after the fast-growing online offering drove sales rises in recent months.

Buying director Paula Nickolds said: “Fashion led the way this week, with womenswear, menswear and childrenswear all vying closely for the top spot as customers were prompted by the weather to consider their autumn wardrobe.”

Aberdeen and Edinburgh saw sales grow by about 1 per cent year-on-year, with Glasgow down 2.5 per cent, but all three Scottish shops made solid gains over the past ten weeks. The firm expects a further lift after launching its Christmas ranges.