DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis said unsettled weather and another round of high street price cuts helped boost footfall last week.
The retailer described trading in the week to last Saturday as encouraging after sales slipped by just 0.7% to £46.2m in line with recent trends.
Electricals and home technology led the way with a 4% rise on last year, while in the fashion department sales were up by 1.9%.
Sales of home ranges were down by 7.7%, the company’s weekly trading report added.
John Lewis said the disappointing weather encouraged households to spend more of their time shopping, while promotional activity by competitors help driving footfall in John Lewis stores.
Waitrose posted a 4.9% rise in weekly sales.
