John Lewis sales grew 6.6% to £69.24m in the week to May 17 as the warm weather encouraged shoppers to spend in the retailer’s department stores.
The outdoor living category was up 52% on the previous year and the home category overall grew 5.5%.
Fashion also performed well, rising 7.3%, including a rise in childrenswear up11.8% and womenswear up 13.2%.
Warm weather accessories performed best – sunglasses were up 107% on the year before.
Electricals, meanwhile, grew 6.9%, and the company’s 150th anniversary products continued to sell well, with the Molton Brown collaboration being the best performer.
Ed Connolly, buying director for electricals and home technology, said: “This week we have the run into the bank holiday weekend trading opportunity across all categories and our World Cup campaign across digital, print and in shops begins in earnest, so we expect a good week.”
At sister grocer Waitrose, sales excluding petrol grew 7% to £122.91m in the week to May 17.
It saw a similar sharp rise in warm weather products with suncare sales up 216% and barbecue meats up 117%.
Fresh fruit also did well with demand for strawberries up 90% and 30% more peaches and nectarines sold than the same week last year.
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