Sales at department store John Lewis exceeded £100 million last week as the countdown to Christmas got underway, according to the latest figures.
In the week ending November 24th 2012, total sales reached £109.6 million, up 11 per cent on the same period last year and 19.6 per cent on the previous week.
Such a strong figure is a record achievement in a November week for the group and sales were positive across all areas of the business.
As households began to prepare for Christmas, sales of sofa beds and furnishings grew while table decorations and Christmas lighting also proved popular as beautifying the home became a priority in the run-up to the festivities.
Electricals in particularly fared well over the week, driven by continued consumer interest in the latest tablets while cameras and radios also saw a sales surge. Home, fashion and EHT saw “exceptional” growth, with online sales across all areas up 34.6 per cent on the same week in 2011.
Black Friday, the official start to the Christmas shopping period celebrated in the US though growing increasingly popular in the UK, drove sales at the retailer, which reported a record-breaking £9 million worth of online orders on the day.
Johnlewis.com took the equivalent of £105 per second while, on Saturday, overall trade saw John Lewis take the largest sterling figure for a single day outside of its Clearance sale, recording sales of £23.6 million.
“We are extremely pleased to have achieved such a strong uplift in sales,” Maggie Porteous, John Lewis‘ Head of Selling Operations said.
“There is no doubt that Christmas sales are really beginning to take off and customers are appreciating that John Lewis is the destination of choice for preparing the home and finding innovative products as well as inspiring gift ideas.
“Our commitment to being Never Knowingly undersold means that we continue to match competitors‘ prices, including during their promotional activity, ensuring that customers can be certain that they will be offered the best value and service at John Lewis.”
