John Lewis clearance sees 26% sales growth

11th January 2013

Editorial Assistant

Department Stores Fashion News

Department store John Lewis recorded sales growth of 26 per cent in the first full week of clearance, the latest figures have revealed.

For the week ending January 5th 2013, the department store saw sales of £91.8 million, following a record start to its clearance sales two weeks ago.

In the first hour of online clearance, which opened at 5pm on Christmas Eve, orders were up 70 per cent on last year and johnlewis.com saw visitor numbers increase by 24 per cent on Christmas Day.

Electricals and Home Technology provided the strongest sales growth, with an increase of 44 per cent on last year, and sales of tablet devices and Windows 8 computers were particularly high.

A 19 per cent rise in sales in sports shows the impact of New Year fitness resolutions, while fashion sales increased by 20 per cent and handbags saw 17 per cent sales growth.

Commenting on the success of the sale, Paula Nickolds, Home Buying Director for John Lewis, said: “This year we have more newness in store than ever before and the critical full price sales are promising across all three directorates.

“This is testament to the hard work across Buying and Merchandising launching new season stock early to benefit from the high footfall during Clearance.”

Department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser (HOF) have reported strong Christmas sales this week with like-for-like (LFL) sales up five per cent for Debenhams and 6.3 per cent for HOF.

However, for HOF the pre-Christmas rush produced more growth than the January sales as the retailer saw record sales in the fortnight before Christmas.

Many retailers benefited from a last-minute boost in sales before Christmas as customers held out on spending in the hope of Christmas Eve bargains.

Focussing on the year ahead, Nickolds commented: “With a few days of clearance to go, the focus is on sell-through of old stock and highlighting the stunning new ranges across all areas.

“With The Gift List rebrand alongside Wedding Shops launching in stores next week, there is plenty if activity to excite the customers.”