John Lewis Stores Crammed with Christmas Shoppers

20/11/2007

Christmas party and holiday shopping has been fast and furious at John Lewis’s 26 stores. A surge in business has helped to boost spirits among retailers on the high street.

The Guardian’s Simon Bowers wrote about the flush of spending in the run-up to the Christmas party season for Guardian’s online edition. He reports: “The department store business, which with Waitrose supermarkets makes up the John Lewis Partnership, said yesterday that sales last week were up by 7% on the equivalent week in 2006. Sales growth for the preceding 15 weeks had dropped to 2.3% compared with 15.8% last year, declining to 1.8% in the final week of that period.”

Patrick Lewis, Head of Retail at John Lewis, said: “We won’t reach last year’s rate of growth in the run-up to Christmas, partly because background retail spending will be tighter. We have to gain more market share. Also, we are up against what was an absolutely exceptional Christmas for us last year.”

Online sales from Christmas party and holiday gift shopping is helping to boost sales for most retailers. John Lewis stores say online sales are about a third higher than last year’s Christmas party and holiday season.