'Terrific start' to year for John Lewis

The employee-owned group said yesterday sales at its 28 department stores, one John Lewis at home store, and internet business, increased to 48.9m in the week to February 6 from 37.1m in the same week last year.

"A terrific start to the new financial year... To a large extent this was to be expected, with the heavy snowfalls in week one of last year," said Nat Wakely, director of selling operations.

The outcome was driven by a 42 per cent jump in fashion sales, a 35 per cent increase in homewares sales and a 19 per cent rise in the electricals and home technology category.

The performance, which was John Lewis' fourth straight week of rising sales, will add to the cloudy picture on the current strength of UK consumer spending.

John Lewis also owns the 223-store Waitrose supermarket chain.

Week to February 6 sales here increased 9 per cent to 87.6m, reinforcing Waitrose's current position as the UK's fastest growing grocer.