DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis and its Waitrose supermarkets arm enjoyed contrasting fortunes last week – as soaring temperatures affected autumn sales.
In the week Waitrose began stocking Halloween and Christmas products, the supermarket chain saw sales of sun cream triple on a year ago while sales of ice cream were up by 62%.
Overall, Waitrose revenues were up by 9.7% to £101.9m in the week to last Saturday, while the department store side of the John Lewis Partnership reported a 7.9% drop in sales.
The department stores saw fashion sales fall by 13% as mild weather hit demand for autumn ranges. Several shops reported sales down by more than 20%.
