Sales up 7% at John Lewis

Sales at John Lewis jumped by 7% for the week to April 19

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John Lewis sales rose 7% to £48.7 million in the week to April 19, despite the cold weather.

The department store said that the increase represented a like-for-like uplift of 2.%% despite the "unhelpful cold weather."

A strong performance across the fashion department buoyed results. Clothing sales increased 4% year-on-year. However sandals and sunglasses struggled to match last years' strong comparables and customers opted for hosiery to combat the lack of sunshine.

John Lewis merchandise director Jill Little said that menswear and sports had also achieved good results with four store locations experiencing double digit increases. Formalwear led the way on menswear. 

Little added: "Now all the schools have finished, we end the period of non-comparative weekly sales we have experienced due to an early Easter. While year-on-year changes have been difficult to judge in recent weeks, there is no doubt we can be pleased with the progress we made during some warmer weather to allow us to take full advantage of our summer assortments."