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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/13/john-lewis-says-mild-weather-to-blame-for-clothing-sales-slump
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| John Lewis blames weather for clothing and homeware slump | John Lewis blames weather for clothing and homeware slump |
| (17 days later) | |
| John Lewis has blamed mild weather and tough price cuts elsewhere on the high street for a dramatic slump in clothing and homeware sales. | John Lewis has blamed mild weather and tough price cuts elsewhere on the high street for a dramatic slump in clothing and homeware sales. |
| The retailer’s overall sales fell more than 8% last week but the picture in its clothing and homeware departments was worse, down more than 11%. | The retailer’s overall sales fell more than 8% last week but the picture in its clothing and homeware departments was worse, down more than 11%. |
| The poor clothing figures came despite the employee-owned chain’s recent investment in its womenswear ranges, including the 300-piece John Lewis & Partners collection. | The poor clothing figures came despite the employee-owned chain’s recent investment in its womenswear ranges, including the 300-piece John Lewis & Partners collection. |
| The retailer, which is used as a barometer of spending by the middle classes, said its fashion departments faced tough comparisons from a year ago, when sales were boosted by its “never knowingly undersold” price-match policy. | The retailer, which is used as a barometer of spending by the middle classes, said its fashion departments faced tough comparisons from a year ago, when sales were boosted by its “never knowingly undersold” price-match policy. |
| “Total sales for the week were down 8.3% due to unseasonably mild weather and the fact we were price-matching a competitor this time last year,” said Dino Rocos, the John Lewis & Partners operations director. | “Total sales for the week were down 8.3% due to unseasonably mild weather and the fact we were price-matching a competitor this time last year,” said Dino Rocos, the John Lewis & Partners operations director. |
| Five reasons why John Lewis profits have dived | |
| It was also a challenging week for homeware, which fell 11.2.% after a sluggish housing market hit demand for curtains and cushions. Technology fared better and, though sales were down by 2.8%, the department was bolstered by gadget launches such as the iPhone XR. | It was also a challenging week for homeware, which fell 11.2.% after a sluggish housing market hit demand for curtains and cushions. Technology fared better and, though sales were down by 2.8%, the department was bolstered by gadget launches such as the iPhone XR. |
| It has been a tough year for the high street due to rising costs and weak consumer spending, with much riding on the success of the Christmas period, known as “the golden quarter” in the retail trade. | It has been a tough year for the high street due to rising costs and weak consumer spending, with much riding on the success of the Christmas period, known as “the golden quarter” in the retail trade. |
| The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, has not been immune from the decline, with a collapse in profitability in the first six months of the year. The department store chain slumped to a first-half loss of more than £19m, compared with a £54m profit a year earlier, as it invested in IT systems and new stores and soaked up price cuts. | The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, has not been immune from the decline, with a collapse in profitability in the first six months of the year. The department store chain slumped to a first-half loss of more than £19m, compared with a £54m profit a year earlier, as it invested in IT systems and new stores and soaked up price cuts. |
| John Lewis Partnership made 1,800 redundancies in the past year | |
| The most recent data from Springboard, which counts shopper numbers, showed high street footfall down 2% in October – the 11th consecutive month of decline. Its analysts suggested shoppers were waiting for Black Friday and other seasonal promotions. | The most recent data from Springboard, which counts shopper numbers, showed high street footfall down 2% in October – the 11th consecutive month of decline. Its analysts suggested shoppers were waiting for Black Friday and other seasonal promotions. |
| “Consumer demand is continuing to weaken, which, as we head into the key trading period of the year, suggests that Christmas could be challenging,” said Diane Wehrle, Springboard’s marketing and insights director. | “Consumer demand is continuing to weaken, which, as we head into the key trading period of the year, suggests that Christmas could be challenging,” said Diane Wehrle, Springboard’s marketing and insights director. |
| John Lewis launches its much-vaunted Christmas ad this week and the retailer will hope it can mirror the magic of last year’s Moz the Monster campaign, which helped the department store chain record festive sales. | John Lewis launches its much-vaunted Christmas ad this week and the retailer will hope it can mirror the magic of last year’s Moz the Monster campaign, which helped the department store chain record festive sales. |
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