Online Sales Growth At John Lewis Stumble As Shoppers Pause For Breath

Sales at johnlewis.com stumbled last week when spending rose at just half the rate of previous weeks.

In keeping with reports of sporadic sales across the retail sector, online sales at the department store increased 9.4 per cent compared to a total of 19.9 per cent in the 16 previous weeks.

Total sales at John Lewis rose just 2.1 per cent, in further signs that shoppers are showing restraint ahead of the Christmas rush, compared to a 6.7 per cent increase in the previous 16 weeks.

Retail executives both on an off-line have reported that many customers are reining in spending rather than dipping into debt. Shoppers may be preferring to wait until the end-of-the-month paydays arrive to buy more festive goods rather than using money they have not got.