Electricals fuel John Lewis sales rise

Sales at the department store rose from £49.9m to £53.9m in the week to January 28. Online sales surged 42%.

Its grocery arm Waitrose enjoyed a 7.3% rise to £102.4m while the combined John Lewis Partnership recorded an uplift from £144.9m to £156.3m.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street said the department store performance in its final week of the 2011-12 trading year backed up its ‘bricks and clicks’ strategy as its Click and Collect service rose 99% in usage on last year following its continued roll out.

Among the shops, Leicester, High Wycombe, Norwich, Reading and Oxford Street were the pick of the department stores.

Street said: “Ours remains a ‘bricks and clicks’ story. Johnlewis.com’s performance reflected continued momentum in electricals and fashion as well as increases in bed linen, china and particularly home office.”

Waitrose commercial director Mark Williamson said: “The week saw the weather becoming significantly colder for much of the country, leading customers to stock up on winter warming food.

“Customers also bought 22% more prepared meals, while many chose to cook their own, with our range of slow-roast joints seeing a 24% sales increase.”

Waitrose recorded strong sales of its low fat and low calorie Love Life You Count range following its launch last week.