Father's Day boost for John Lewis

JOHN Lewis department stores received a Father's Day boost last week, with overall sales up 13 per cent to £52.5 million. Demand was strong for menswear and sports fashion items, with sales of men's brands up 50 per cent in the week to 19 June.

Two of the company's Scottish stores shared in the rise, with Edinburgh up 6.6 per cent and Aberdeen 2.2 per cent higher. But Glasgow was one of only three stores in the UK to report falling sales, down 1 per cent.

Nat Wakely, John Lewis's selling operations director, said: "Two key factors played a part last week: Father's Day and matching our competitors' sales under our 'never knowingly undersold' price-matching pledge. We saw strong uplifts in gift food, seasonal events and gifts, and a strong final Father's Day flourish in stationery."