Coats and gadgets boost John Lewis

Department store group John Lewis saw its sales grow 9.2 per cent to £70.2 million last week as autumn’s arrival drove demand for warmer clothing.

The employee-owned retailer said sales of outerwear were 30 per cent higher than a year ago, while electrical gadgets also proved popular, with camera sales soaring 42 per cent.

Among the group’s three Scottish stores, Aberdeen enjoyed the strongest performance with an 8.5 per cent rise in sales, followed by Glasgow at 4.7 per cent, while takings at Edinburgh grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year.