John Lewis is to publish its own updated version of the famous wartime pamphlet, Make Do and Mend, as it takes advantage of the frugality revival in the recession.

The department store group has compiled the pamphlet using tips provided by its own employees, and will be available in stores from the beginning of September.

The retailer said its publication has “been brought firmly into the 21st Century” and is “packed with money-saving advice”, including tips on the maintenance and use of gadgets and appliances, as well as prolonging the life of furniture and clothes.

The retailer conducted a six month consultation, when it asked 28,000 staff, past and present, to contribute to the booklet.

Year on year haberdashery sales at John Lewis are up 17% while sewing machine sales have rocketed 30%, as shoppers seek to make savings in the downturn.

To coincide with the launch of the pamphlet, the retailer will be offering Make Do and Mend classes in stores.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street said: “We have now become a nation doing our best to weave thrift with quality on a daily basis, and this guide is designed to help households to get the very best out of what they have. Our lives are far more complicated than they were in the 1940s and we’ve forgotten some of the basic principles that can save a lot of time and unnecessary expense.

“We believe that there has been a sea change in our attitudes towards possessions and for that reason this updated booklet is perfectly timed.”

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