The hot weather which settled over the UK last week resulted in a slowdown in sales at John Lewis, totalling £73.3m, a decline of -4.3% on a strong week last year.
As Britain enjoyed its hottest day of the year on Tuesday with temperatures in excess of 30°C, warm weather items such as natural low tog duvets (+41%) and outdoor living (+31.1%) proved popular as customers looked to beat the heat with their purchases. Customers also began to take advantage of the start of the school holidays by heading abroad to spend time with their families. This was reflected by a +16.5% rise in sales at John Lewis Heathrow YoY.
The heatwave had a large impact on the Home category, which finished at -11.2%, as customers chose to make the most of the British summer. A dip in footfall meant that big ticket items had a slower week in Home.
