John Lewis blamed unseasonable weather, Mother’s Day and televised sporting events for a 1.4 per cent fall in sales in the week to March 8.

Sales for the week were£46.9 million at the department store division of the John Lewis Partnership.

John Lewis personnel director Eric Gregory said that, while trade was up on six days of the week, it was “not enough to compensate for the shortfall on Sunday”, the day on which Mother’s Day fell.

Strong sales in womenswear separates and outerwear and branded casual menswear helped fashion to perform better than last year. Electricals and home technology was also ahead.

However, Gregory added: “The general economic slowdown, particularly that in the housing market, continues to test our home merchandise sales of furniture and floor coverings.”

Sales at John Lewis Direct, the Partnership's online arm, were up 27 per cent on last year.

Sales at Waitrose were up 6.2 per cent to£77.28 million over the period, with sales of poultry, bakery and horticulture leading the sales.

Total sales at the Partnership over the week were 3.2 per cent higher than the previous year, at£124.17 million.

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