// John Lewis Partnership weekly sales decline 2.4%
// Waitrose sales drop 2.1%
// John Lewis sales down by 2.8%
John Lewis Partnership’s weekly sales declined by 2.4 per cent last week, despite a positive response from new product launches.
For the week ending August 17, the partnership’s overall weekly sales came in at £200.20 million, compared to the same time year when it recorded £205.04 million.
For the year to date, sales slipped 0.9 per cent year-on-year.
Total sales at Waitrose were down 2.1 per cent for the week, and stablemate John Lewis fared slightly worse with a 2.7 per cent decline.
The department store’s decline was driven by a 4.3 per cent drop in fashion sales and a 5.9 per cent decline in home sales.
However, John Lewis’ electrical and home technology department had a good week, with sales increasing 1.3 per cent thanks to new launches inspiring customers to upgrade their TVs.
John Lewis also highlighted that within fashion, women’s and premium accessories and jewellery performed well, while within home sales of the House by John Lewis range were up 15 per cent as students prepare to go to university next month.
Meanwhile, Waitrose once again saw a year-on-year drop in sales across all its sectors: ambient items were down 1.8 per cent, chilled fruit and vegetables were down 1.8 per cent, while home and merchandise sales dropped 7.3 per cent.
The grocery retailer attributed the performance to mixed weather across the country.
However, it said that ahead of the first episode of The Great British Bake Off, customers have been practising their own baking skills with sales of home baking products up by nine per cent.
Free from products also saw a sales increase of 15 per cent, and cut flowers and outside horticulture performed well too.
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