Sales slowdown: Growth rates take a dive at John Lewis

DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis today posted a further slowdown in sales growth, despite strong demand for laptops running Microsoft’s newly-launched Windows 8 operating system.

Sales in the week to 27 October rose by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, compared with 12.7 per cent for the past 13 weeks as a whole. The employee-owned firm said it had come up against tough comparisons with last year, when the English schools’ half-term holidays fell during a different week.

Buying director Ed Connolly said: “With further technology launches to come, the prospect of colder weather on the horizon and our shops in such good shape, we have every opportunity to break records as we head towards [Christmas] peak.”

Kate Calvert, an analyst at Seymour Pierce, said: “Interestingly, on-line remained strong with sales up 39 per cent.”

Sales at the group’s Glasgow branch edged ahead by 1 per cent, but Aberdeen was down 3.9 per cent and Edinburgh fell 9.5 per cent.