John Lewis sales decline

SALES at the Edinburgh branch of John Lewis have declined, bringing to an end the clearance-boosted boom.

The St James Centre store saw sales decline by 1.5 per cent in the week to January 15. But the store's sales are still up 2.3 per cent in the 24 weeks of its financial year to date, compared with the same period last year.

Across the UK, sales increased by 4.1 per cent in the seven-day period, at 55.8 million.

The Edinburgh store had enjoyed among the biggest sales increases in the whole of the company during the festive period.