John Lewis sales fall

The department store division of the John Lewis Partnership blamed the bad weather, difficult comparatives and the sporting calendar for the fall in sales.

Trade softened as the week progressed and only two John Lewis department stores posted sales up on last year.

Peter Jones recorded a 19.1 per cent dip in sales during the week and Liverpool was down 20.6 per cent.

Electricals performed best during the period for John Lewis, while womenswear was hit by strong pre-Mother’s Day comparatives against last year.

Home, which has been challenging, fared better than in recent weeks with John Lewis’s seasonal Easter range proving popular, according to commercial director Phil Hullah.

He said: “Market conditions are clearly difficult and Easter weeks looks likely to be another stretching one.”

Sales at John Lewis Direct were up 30 per cent on the year.

Meanwhile, Waitrose reported a 6.2 per cent rise in sales to£78.89 million, driven by increased demand for wines and spirits following the budget. Easter sales are building towards a strong trading week, according to supply chain director Mark Williamson.

Total sales at the John Lewis Partnership in the week to March 15 were up 3.3 per cent to£126.1 million.