The wintry weekend weather enticed shoppers into shopping centres and away from the high streets, garden centres and DIY stores this Easter holiday.

John Lewis said that sales on Good Friday were up almost 50 per cent in its stores at Bluewater in Kent and West Quay in Southampton, but that its high street stores had not performed as well.

The British Retail Consortium said sales at garden centres and DIY stores would suffer from the inclement weather and the early fall of Easter.

Last week, the BRC forecast that Easter sales would be£8 billion over eight days, 3 per cent higher than last year.

John Lewis’ sales rose 7 per cent overall compared with Easter week last year, with a 20 per cent lift on Good Friday against last year. Sales were driven by men’s fashions, sports equipment and TVS.

The department store group, which recorded a second consecutive drop in weekly sales last week, said it benefited from the blustery Easter weather as shoppers took trips to covered shopping centres.

Sainsbury’s is expected to report on Thursday that sales over the holiday period, excluding petrol, climbed 6.2 per cent compared with the same time last year.

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