Sunshine perks up John Lewis

Sales of sunglasses, sandals and barbecues rocketed in the week to 17 April, with picnic items and cakes for "afternoon tea" also proving popular.

The department store chain reported a 19 per cent year-on-year sales rise, while Waitrose posted a 27 per cent jump.

Glasgow's John Lewis branch enjoyed a 7.2 per cent rise, while Edinburgh was up by 2.6 per cent.

But Aberdeen failed to share in the brighter sales outlook after reporting a 1.7 per cent fall, the only store in the UK to post a year-on-year decline.