// John Lewis Partnership’s overall weekly sales up by 6.2%
// Waitrose weekly sales increase 7.1%
// John Lewis weekly sales grow 4.8%
John Lewis Partnership’s weekly sales have enjoyed another week of growth, although the year-on-year comparisons continued to be distorted by the later timing of Easter.
For the week ending April 13, weekly sales at the partnership increased 6.2 per cent to £215.30 million compared to the same week last year, when it recorded £202.70 million.
The growth also compared to the 7.3 per cent year-on-year uptick recorded last week, which was a bounce-back after several weeks of decline.
However, for John Lewis Partnership’s financial year-to-date, sales were down 1.4 per cent compared to the first 11 weeks last year.
Waitrose was once again the star performer last week, booking a weekly sales increase of 7.1 per cent year-on-year – although this is a dramatic slowdown compared to the 17.3 per cent growth the upmarket grocer recorded last week.
Waitrose that with the Easter long weekend in sight, sales of its Easter chocolate ranges were strong while sales of hot cross buns pushed bakery sales up by 31 per cent and lamb sales were 20 per cent higher.
The retailer also saw a boost in wine sales for the week, with many customers taking up the 25 per cent off six bottles offer.
Meanwhile, total sales for the week at stablemate John Lewis were up 4.8 per cent year-on-year thanks to shopping Easter promotions.
This was also an improvement for the department store, which booked a decline of 5.8 per cent last week, partly thanks to a 10.4 per cent surge in fashion sales.
John Lewis said its fashion sales were bolstered by a 10.7 uptick in menswear sales, along with 15.2 per cent increase in beauty, wellbeing and leisure and 4.2 per cent growth in new season fashion as customers prepared for the warmer weather and Easter getaways.
Meanwhile, sales in the home department were up 6.9 per cent, but electrical and home technology sales were down 2.4 per cent.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
