Sales steady at department store chain

John Lewis saw sales rise by 4 per cent last week, as “organised parents” buying well ahead of Christmas offset the impact of more unseasonal weather.

The employee-owned firm said toy sales in particular had picked up in advance of Christmas though fashion also enjoyed “excellent” increases from childrenswear and womenswear in the week to 22 October.

A strong run continued for white goods, computing and accessories, with both “cooling and heating” products doing well because of the uneven temperatures this month.

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Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said the headline figure was “decent looking”.

He added though that only six of the established stores saw year-on-year increases in sales in the latest week, while 24 recorded declines. Edinburgh was up 0.1 per cent, Glasgow dipped 1.3 per cent and Aberdeen fell 3.4 per cent.