Cooking and dining and white goods see sales increase in first week of September.
Overall sales were up 5.6% to £57m for the week to September 4. Cooking and dining provided some of the highlights across the department store chain's home categories, and was "bolstered by competitor extravaganza", said John Lewis.

Across the board, home was up 7.1% for the week, while electrical and home technology saw a slight decline - down 1.3% over the seven-day period. However, white goods were very much in demand, with strong performances across both the large and small assortments.

John Lewis head f operational support Chris Hooper commented: "For the remainder of September, as schools return, the pattern of trade will be more predictable. That said, the next few weeks do offer up a very good opportunity to drive some strong performance, and with September done, we can focus all efforts on the exciting surge towards peak trade."