Home sales fall 6.7% at John Lewis

11th March | retail | Furniture has been among the poorest performing categories for department store retailer John Lewis in the past year. Home sales fell 6.7% in the year to 31st January 2009, offsetting growth in fashion and home technology products.

Overall sales at the department store chain, not including its financial services and food retail arms, were flat, with a 0.1% reduction to £2.81bn, with like for like sales dropping 3.4%.

Operating profits, excluding property gains, fell 27.4% to £144.4m. John Lewis Partnership chairman Charlie Mayfield said sales in home-related categories were down significantly as a result of the collapse in the housing market.