Sales at John Lewis & Partners rose over Christmas, bringing hope that the downturn on the high street is not as bad as many have feared.
The department stores group said that its total sales for the week to December 22 were up 4.2%, while sales in the week after, which marks the start of its clearance, or sales, period, were up by 4.5%.
John Lewis said that it had recorded “very strong sales on Christmas Eve and a confident start to clearance sales both online and in the shops”.
Garden centre chain Dobbies has also reported a bumper festive period with total sales of £24.1m in the six weeks to December 30, up 21% on the same period a year earlier. Its like-for-like sales rose by 8% year-on-year in a strong performance, given the high level of competition and discounting during Christmas.
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