Sales for John Lewis rose above the £100m threshold for the first time this year, matching the 2013 record of the earliest week to reach this milestone. Sales grew 7.2% on last year which was 13.7% up on the previous week, and online sales were up 15%.
Top of mind for customers this week was giving their homes a pre-Christmas makeover, with sales of Furniture and Home Entertaining a driving force. Home showed the strongest signs of this trend with sales up 9.0% year-on-year. Lighting had a record week with yearly sales rising 10.4%. Guest beds and Bed Linen were particularly strong performers, up 50% and 11% year-on-year respectively, along with another strong week for big ticket assortments such as Floor Coverings, Furniture and Beds.
In store, both the Countdown to Christmas and my John Lewis customer events drove footfall, with stand-out performances from at home shops including Newbury, Chichester and Poole along with two more recent larger store openings at Exeter and Stratford City.
There was also high praise for John Lewis' omni channel this week. The company was named Retail and Etail Fulfilment Operation of the Year at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards, and Best Department Store of the Year at the Retail Week Interiors Awards.
