John Lewis sales edge up, but Scots stores slide

John Lewis reported another week of falling sales in Scotland

Department store chain John Lewis today reported a rise in weekly sales, helped by the remnants of the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

The employee-owned retailer said sales in the week to 5 December were 3.5 per cent higher than the same period last year, with “cyber Monday” driving a 22.4 per cent jump in parcel deliveries.

However, all three of its stores in Scotland continued to suffer lower sales compared with a year ago.

Its Edinburgh branch witnessed the steepest decline north of the Border, with takings down 9.9 per cent, closely followed by Aberdeen at 9.4 per cent. In Glasgow, sales were 3.1 per cent lower.

Overall, John Lewis said fashion sales led the way, rising 5.7 per cent year-on-year, while the number of Christmas trees sold had jumped by almost a quarter.