Department store chain John Lewis yesterday said its out-of-town stores suffered most in a sharp sales fall last week.
The group said sales fell 8.3 per cent during the week to June 28 compared to the prior year, led by hefty declines for home and electrical goods.
In a signal that rising fuel costs were also having an impact on trade, John Lewis said its out-of-t
own stores – such as Bluewater in Kent and Brent Cross in North London – fared the worst in terms of sales. Bluewater's sales dropped nearly 25 per cent during the week, with Brent Cross posting a 17 per cent decline.
"There is no doubt that trade in our shops proved challenging when compared to exceptional results last year," commercial director Phil Hullah said.
Retail analyst Freddie George at Seymour Pierce said they were a "very weak" set of figures. He also cited sporting events such as Wimbledon and the Euro 2008 football championships as having an impact. On the out-of-town decline, Mr George added: "There must be more going on here than the higher cost of petrol putting off shoppers going to these destination outlets – perhaps they are progressively being viewed as not attractive places to visit during the summer."
Electrical and home technology sales were down 15.8 per cent during the week, with home items 13 per cent worse off. Fashion helped stem the decline with a 2 per cent rise, John Lewis said.
Sales of bigger ticket items such as washing machines and sofas have been among the main casualties during a consumer spending squeeze.
Just two of the chain's branches posted sales rises – the flagship branch on London's Oxford Street, which enjoyed an overall 5.6 per cent rise, and Knight & Lee in Southsea, Portsmouth, which was 0.7 per cent better off.
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