John Lewis Partnership unveiled sales up 7 per cent to £71 million, in the week to November 17, as consumer spending appeared to be on the up despite recent fears.
However, the news comes after a poor few weeks at the retail group, which includes department store group John Lewis and supermarket chain Waitrose. The retailer's health is often taken as an indicator of high street trends. In October, high street sales slid for the first time in nine months, as the affect of this year’s five interest rate rises started to filter through to consumers.
John Lewis director of retail operations Patrick Lewis said it’s not all “doom and gloom” for retailers though. “These figures show that the green shoots of Christmas trade are already coming through on the high street. The surge of customers spending in our shops last week reflects a gearing up to cater for Christmas hospitality,” he said.
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