Weather brings cold comfort for JLP

JOHN Lewis Partnership's department store sales were 17.7 per cent higher last week than the same period a year ago, after cool weather over the Bank Holiday weekend encouraged shoppers.

However, north of the Border, only Glasgow shared in the growth, booking a 1.6 per cent sales rise, while Edinburgh posted a 0.8 per cent fall and Aberdeen returned the second-worst performance in the UK, with an 8.1 per cent drop.