John Lewis shoppers stock up for winter

Department store chain John Lewis said "seasonal cocooning" led to a 9.7 per cent year-on-year rise in sales last week, with customers preparing for forecasted cold weather by buying Barbour jackets, hats, scarves and duvets to keep warm.

But the three Scottish stores failed to share in the uplift, with Edinburgh down 0.1 per cent, Aberdeen 2 per cent lower and Glasgow falling 2.2 per cent.