John Lewis achieved record online sales last week as cold snap drives demand

Online sales totalled £37.9m. John Lewis head of selling operations Maggie Porteous said it was “a great result ahead of Mega Monday when we expect to see another surge in trade”, referring to Cyber Monday, which is today.

The retailer expects strong sales of the iPad Mini, Kurio tablets, Sonos wireless music systems and Beats headphones today.

John Lewis said it is also expecting “unprecedented volumes of customers” to use its click-and-collect service.

In the week to December 1, the cold weather boosted sales of outerwear, knitwear and Uggs, as well as “gifts that enable people to use their ever-popular tech products while keeping warm”, such as Hearmuffs , which protect ears from the cold while enabling people to listen to music.

The start of the party season drove sales of high heels, beauty products and jewellery last week, while the demand for mini sewing machines “shows that crafting continues to be a key trend, both for people making their own Christmas presents as well as being a gift in its own right”, John Lewis said.

Porteous added: “This week has seen another strong performance and momentum is building as we enter December.

“All areas from toys to bedding to ready-made curtains to tablets are performing very well. As well as buying gifts and getting their homes ready for the festive period, customers are also ensuring they keep warm with cold-weather clothing and heaters selling fast.”