John Lewis fashion sales up but overall sales drop 4.1 percent

John Lewis total sales for the week ended March 25, 2017 were 81.7 million pounds (101 million dollars), down 4.1 percent year on year, which the company attributed to Easter falling in the same week last year. However, the company said, sales were up on the previous week this year due to customers buying Mother's Day gifts.

John Lewis saw very strong performance at its store in St Pancras Station with customers buying last minute Mother's Day gifts on their journeys. The company’s fashion sales were up 3.8 percent year on year with sales in beauty, wellbeing and leisure increasing 16.5 percent due to Mother's Day. Womenswear sales increased 11.1 percent, which John Lewis said were due to the warmer weather and arrival of new collections including its new denim lifestyle brand AND/OR. Jewellery sales were up 24 percent.

Home sales were down 3.3 percent, while sales of home gifts were up 38.8 percent. With the arrival of spring, the company said, sales of carpets and other floor products were up 23.8 percent and beds and bedroom furniture were up 4.8 percent.

John Lewis attributed 12.2 percent decline in electrical, home and technology sales to strong promotions in the comparable week last year. However, sales of mobile phones and photography equipment were up 27.1 percent.

Picture:John Lewis website