Sales rise 3.7% at John Lewis

John Lewis has reported a welcome boost to trading with sales up 3.7% for the week ended August 2.

John Lewis sales jumped to £47.4 million for the week, with fashion sales striding ahead by 7.4%.

Seven John Lewis branches, including Oxford Street and Aberdeen, posted increases in sales against the same week last year.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street said cited the new Ted Baker range as being a strong performer in womens wear : "In womens wear, it was terrific to see the response from our customers to the new Ted Baker range."

Street added: "New autumn stock continues to feed through, with sales gaining corresponding momentum. The focus is split going forward on the back-to-school peak and the opening of our new shop in Leicester in less than four weeks, where progress towards a successful opening from a building, team and stock perspective is excellent."