Department stores buck trend on high street
Sales at John Lewis department stores reached a record£91.1 million for the week to December 9 - up 8.4 per cent on the same week last year and 11 per cent on the previous week.

The group said the onset of colder weather and the festive season bolstered sales of fashion and luxury beauty products at its 27 stores.

The figures were released as many industry commentators were forecasting a dire Christmas on the high street. According to a report by Ernst & Young, the proportion of disposable income spent on the high street has fallen from 38 per cent in 1995 to 34 per cent in 2006. In addition, high street stores face greater competition from the internet, with online spending tipped to soar 40 per cent this Christmas. Large supermarkets providing a wider range of non-food products at cheaper prices also pose a threat.

John Lewis retail director Gareth Thomas said: 'We don't recognise those stories of doom and gloom.'

Topics