Strong clothing sales following the start of the colder, autumnal weather helped drive sales at John Lewis in the week to September 29.

Sales at John Lewis department stores climbed 7 per cent during the period to£53.14 million.

Own-brand and branded assortments in mens- and womenswear posted strong growth, with outerwear and scarves, gloves and nightclothes in strong demand. Childrenswear, linens and electronics also performed well.

Sales in vision and audio and telelcommunications continued to be “slightly more challenging”, according to the retailer.

John Lewis’ online arm, John Lewis Direct, was up 8 per cent on the previous week and annual growth rocketed more than 40 per cent.

Waitrose posted a robust 7.6 per cent growth in sales to£74.2 million during the week, with like-for-likes up about 5 per cent. Growth was driven by the relaunch of its Easy to Cook range and New World Wines promotion.

Overall, the John Lewis Partnership reported a 7.1 per cent increase in sales to£127.4 million in the week to September 29.

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