John Lewis says department store weekly sales advanced 1.3%

John Lewis Partnership Plc said sales at its department stores advanced 1.3 per cent from the previous week, bolstered by purchases of fragrances, lingerie and televisions in the run-up to Christmas.

John Lewis, which owns Waitrose supermarkets and the UK's biggest department store chain, said gaming, technology and personal-care products had also sold well.

“We expect trading to be strong tomorrow, with more male customers picking up last-minute gifts such as cosmetics and beauty products,” Patrick Lewis, director of retail operations, said today by phone. “Sales were up 6 per cent on Saturday compared to last year.”

Store sales in the week ended December 20 declined 1.8 per cent compared with the year-earlier period, the company said in a statement.Toys R Us is cutting the price of Mattel Inc's Elmo Live furry red Muppet through December 24 by $10 to $49.99 and reducing Jakks Pacific Inc's EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles by $20 to $59.99.

“I do believe this is going to be one of the largest weekends in retail history,” ToysRUs Chief Executive Officer Gerald Storch said in an interview December 19.

Shoppers grappling with shrinking housing prices and rising unemployment have cut back on non-necessities, pushing the US economy into a recession. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of gross domestic product, and 81 per cent of consumers plan to spend less this holiday season, according to a study by NPD Group Inc released on December 19.