Menswear sales up at John Lewis as it introduces new independent brands

Fashion sales saw a 1.1% rise year-on-year at John Lewis for the week ending 23 February, but menswear was up 3.1% with men’s branded casual clothing the catalyst.

It follows last week’s launch of six new independent brands on menswear; Maison Labiche, Les Basics, Wax London, SKU, Far Afield and Tretorn, online and in 10 of its branches.

In an earlier statement, Beth Pettet, John Lewis partner and head of menswear, said: “We want to offer our customers a selection of both emerging and established menswear brands from around the world, chosen for their craftsmanship and authenticity. Our customers tell us that they value quality, longevity and attention to detail, and these brands embody this for us.”

The new trading update also revealed that warm weather products, including sunglasses, swimwear and shorts, were up 13% on last year boosted by the unseasonably warm weather.

However, overall John Lewis sales for the week were down 4.8% on the same week last year. Home sales were down 9.5% due to discounting and half term offers at competitors, and electrical and home technology sales were down 6.9% despite positive sales of tablets and computers, which were up 15.9%.

But last week did see the department store group’s highest February sales of outdoor furniture, with sales up 33%, again due to the warm February weather.