Jubilee week puts diamond edge on John Lewis sales

A LAST-MINUTE shopping dash ahead of the Jubilee weekend helped fuel another healthy rise in weekly sales at department store chain John Lewis.

The employee-owned business said sales jumped 27 per cent in the three days before the extended holiday break, resulting in an overall increase of 15 per cent, year-on-year, for the week to 2 June.

Simon Williams, head of corporate sales, said: “Fashion led the way, with a 20.1 per cent increase overall and strong growth across childrenswear, menswear and womenswear.”

The firm has enjoyed a run of strong weekly sales increases, even though recent official data showed overall UK retail sales fell last month at their fastest rate in more than two years.

At internet operation, Johnlewis.com, there was a 53.6 per cent surge in sales in the most recent week.

The group’s three Scottish stores posted mixed results, with Aberdeen up by 8.6 per cent, while Edinburgh slipped 2 per cent and Glasgow fell by 6.1 per cent.