John Lewis department stores recorded a 0.6% uplift in sales to £48.8m over the week to April 10 as the fall of the calendar and good weather impacted trade.
The retailer said that on a week-on-week comparison John Lewis lost a Sunday due to the fall of the calendar. Good weather at the end of the week and a number of key sporting events hit trade.
On a like-for-like Easter week basis John Lewis recorded a 10% sales rise and over the two-week Easter period achieved an 18% uplift in sales.
Fashion performed well, with sales up 4.2%. Womenswear sales increased 12% and brands such as Phase Eight, White Stuff, Hobbs and Ted Baker performing well.
Good weather inspired customers to purchase sunglasses, and menswear and sports sales were up 6%.
John Lewis Bluewater recorded a 6.1% sales increase over the week, followed by Trafford up 5.7% then Cambridge up 3.8%. Johnlewis.com delivered sales growth of 41.3%.
Grocery stablemate Waitrose posted a 16.7% sales fall to £80m, also distorted by timing. Compared to the equivalent Easter period last year turnover was up 10.7%.
Barbecue and picnic food sold well as a result of sunny weather and the “Delia effect” continued – Free range sausages, featured in Delia Smith’s bangers braised in cider recipe, rose 33%.
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