John Lewis sales up after thaw ends shoppers' frustration

Retail bellwether John Lewis bounced back from the cold snap with a sharp rise in sales last week, it reported today.

The firm said sales at its 28 department stores and one John Lewis at home store increased by 11.1 per cent to £53.6 million in the week to 16 January compared to the same week last year.

"Snow influenced, but did not dominate, our sales this week. Once the temperature began to rise so too did our trade, with pent-up customer demand building from midweek and culminating in a great day's trade on Saturday," said Andrew Murphy, director of operational development.

The outcome was driven by a 19 per cent jump in fashion sales and a 15.4 per cent rise in the home category. Electricals and home technology sales increased 2.2 per cent.

John Lewis reported a stellar Christmas but its department store sales fell in the week to 9 January as Britons battled heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures.