Solid trading on the eve of Easter break buoyed retailers’ hopes that the worst days of their business downturn are over, but the industry experts have cautioned not to read too much into few days’ results.
Food sales surged ahead while fashion, DIY and department store chains reported relatively robust trading.
John Lewis’s sales of £48.4 million, at 27 department stores for the week ending Saturday 11th April, were down only by 1.5% over last year, helped by Good Friday. Director Knowles claimed that sales stack up was well when compared with high street as a whole.
According to him rise in fashion sales for the week was 6%, while children’s wear, particularly shoes, also registered strong performance. He remarked that parents were seen not cutting back on children’s items.
In central London, according to New West End Company, footfall was up by 10.5% on Monday, in comparison with same holiday period in March last year. The weekend sales was up 2% overall.
Easter is normally the biggest trading weekend and also a key indicator of coming months’ sales pattern for the DIY retailers. The B&Q spokesman informed that there was brisk sale of paint, decorative accessories and wall papers in the first half of weekend and as the weather grew warmer, sales of grow-your-own seeds and greenhouses increased substantially.
Asda’s spokesman also reported very strong business over Easter and added that stores were as busy on Good Friday as every year during Christmas.
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