John Lewis enjoys “solid” end to the year

Department store group John Lewis has reported a 9.8 per cent rise in sales for the final week of its financial year, which it described as a “solid” result given the disruption caused by snow.

The employee-owned retailer said its Edinburgh branch, which escaped the worst of the weather, was one of its strongest performers, with sales up 11.3 per cent in the week to 26 January, while Glasgow enjoyed an 8.2 per cent rise. However, its Aberdeen store saw sales dip 0.8 per cent.

With much of country hit by heavy snowfall, John Lewis said shoppers took to the internet to make their purchases and sales through its website jumped almost 44 per cent compared with a year ago.

The chain said: “For johnlewis.com it’s been a simply sparkling year of growth, helped by a superb performance from distribution colleagues, and many partners across John Lewis and Waitrose who have supported click and collect.”