Shoppers seek out summer ranges from garden furniture to barbecues, while home and kitchen ranges still strong.
John Lewis has reported a surge in demand for seasonal goods and outdoor living over the past week, with consumers shopping products across the board from beach chairs to summer houses and from its own brand bucket barbecue for £9.95 up to a Weber gas model for £2,499.

The department store chain saw a 13% increase in sales over the week to April 17, compared with the post-Easter week in 2009. John Lewis head of multi-channel Simon Russell was also pleased to report that the retailer had seen a 14% positive swing for the whole Easter period, although against slightly softer comparisons from last year.

Mr Russell added: "Summer was without a doubt the key theme this week." Home sales also grew 15% over the seven-day period with shoppers leaning towards seasonal ranges, while stylish picnicware and table linens were also popular with consumers looking to complete the outdoor living look.

White goods and kitchen appliances were the strongest categories in electrical and home technology over the course of the week.

JohnLewis.com enjoyed another buoyant week, up 39.7% on last year, while it was the retailer's central London stores shone at branch level. Oxford Street and Peter Jones both reported a 30% sales increase. Mr Russell commented: "Many branches may have seen even stronger results if it were not for the beautiful weather towards the end of the week that lured a lot of us to spend a day in the garden rather than visiting the high street."

The latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor revealed that London retailers outperformed the rest of the UK in March, with department stores attracting visitors from home and abroad.