Festive gear
After a week of December we reported that UK retail footfall figures were disappointing, but that analysts reckoned this was down to shoppers leaving it late in the hope of getting last-minute bargains. Well, if UK department store John Lewis is any guide, this prediction has come true.
John Lewis has announced that for the week ending 19 December, its sales were up 15.5 percent on the equivalent period last year and 11.4 percent up on the year before - back when we still thought banks knew what they were doing.
Sales of over £112 million marked the third week in a row that John Lewis had recorded best-ever weekly figures, as consumer electronics are proving popular with last-minute gift buyers. Also, rather than keep shoppers indoors, the freezing weather seems to have sent them out in search of hats' scarves, earmuffs, etc.
"There is a real festive buzz in all our shops as customers are buying last-minute presents, with many choosing home technology gifts such as digital cameras and radios," said Andrew Murphy, director of operational development at John Lewis. "The cold weather also means that sales of fashion, in particular childrenswear, are seeing record-breaking figures."
