// John Lewis Partnership’s overall sales plunge 28.4% for the week ending November 23
// Waitrose weekly sales slip 1.3%
// John Lewis weekly sales plummets 43.3%
John Lewis Partnership’s sales took a major hit last week as consumers held back their spending at its department store chain in anticipation for Black Friday weekend.
For the week ending November 23, overall sales for the parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose plunged 28.4 per cent year-on-year, from £380.03 million down to £272.20 million.
For the year-to-date, the partnership said sales have so far declined two per cent year-on-year.
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For John Lewis on its own, total sales plummeted by 43.3 per cent for the week – but the department store insisted its performance still exceeded expectations thanks to the scheduled launch of Black Friday deals towards the end of the week.
It said sales were up 30 per cent compared to the week before Black Friday last year, which fell earlier in the month of November.
Nonetheless, sales figures for the week for its fashion department were down 42.4 per cent.
Electrical and home technology sales fared worse with a plunge of 55.9 per cent for the week – although John Lewis highlighted it had tough comparisons against last year’s Black Friday promotions during the same weekly period.
Meanwhile, home sales were down 14.7 per cent, with customers continuing to shop for Christmas products with overall festive sales up 5.7 per cent.
Stablemate Waitrose performed much better, with total sales only declining by 1.3 per cent excluding fuel compared to the same week last year.
The grocer recorded a 1.2 per cent dip in ambient product sales, chilled and fresh food sales declined 1.9 per cent and home but general merchandise sales surged 7.7 per cent.
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