John Lewis sales growth slows despite gadget demand

Department store John Lewis has reported a slowdown in sales growth for last week, despite a strong result for electronic gadgets and schoolwear.

The employee-owned retailer took £72.8 million of sales in the week to 31 August, an increase of 3.3 per cent on a year earlier but well below the previous week’s 6.6 per cent growth.

Demand was subdued as many shoppers in England made the most of the last week of the summer holidays, but the chain said the launch of an own-brand digital radio, along with a promotional three-year guarantee on Apple iPads, helped push electricals and home technology sales up 15.3 per cent.

Among the firm’s three Scottish stores, Glasgow enjoyed the strongest performance with a 4.9 per cent increase in sales, followed by Edinburgh at 3.5 per cent, while takings in Aberdeen were up 2.1 per cent year-on-year.