John Lewis sales drop but women's and menswear rise

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 25, 2019

John Lewis Partnership sales fell 2.4% in the week up to June 22, dipping to £221.667 million, and the John Lewis department stores chain fell by the same percentage, which was perhaps a surprise as the company’s summer clearance sale is in full swing.

The retailer said that the first week of clearance had started well “but sales slowed at the weekend due to the warmer weather.”

And this meant something of a surprise as the Fashion department, which has been the recipient of major investment by the company, saw its sales declining ever so slightly (by just 0.1%). Fashion is usually one of the strongest performers at John Lewis with a regular stream of very healthy increases, but it did see areas of strength in the latest week. Womenswear sales were up 4.5% and menswear sales rose 2.9% year-on-year. It also saw strong demand for nursery products which were up 5.8% as it price-matched a competitor’s promotional activity.

But once again, the Home department saw its sales falling with a 3.9% drop, that department having become more accustomed to sales declines than anything else of late. That said, outdoor furniture was up 13% as customers shopped for woven and wooden furniture for their gardens ahead of the expected heatwave later this week.