John Lewis has reported a 5.6 per cent uplift in sales for the week so far from Sunday.

Director of retail operations Patrick Lewis said: "Sales this week are running at 5.6 per cent [up] on last year. Gift-buying and dressing the table for the Christmas meal seem to be the priorities for this week, alongside finding a party outfit."

The department store chain, which has consistently defied tales of gloomy spending on the high street, reported record sales in the week to December 15, up 7.7 per cent on last year to more than£101 million. During that period, Johnlewis.com was up 66 per cent on last year.

Topics