Olympic sales lift: But Scottish stores miss out

By SCOTT REID
Published on 18/08/2012 00:00

JOHN LEWIS enjoyed solid sales growth last week, helped by a feel-good factor that swept much of the nation during the second week of the Olympics.

Figures released yesterday showed that the employee-owned group saw its department store sales jump by 14.9 per cent, year-on-year, in the week to 11 August 11. There was a 36.4 per cent leap in sales at online operation Johnlewis.com.

However, the three Scottish stores failed to join in the celebrations, with Edinburgh down 0.8 per cent, Aberdeen falling 5.1 per cent and Glasgow 5.7 per cent lower.

The partnership is unique among its retail peers in publishing weekly sales bulletins and, as a result, the figures can throw up some anomalies.

It said: “There was certainly a mood of celebration as the ‘Mobot’ [athlete Mo Farah’s signature pose] went global and we toasted our sporting heroes.”