John Lewis sales slump

The St James Centre store saw sales dip by 2.7 per cent in the week to October 1 compared with the same week a year earlier.

Despite the decline, its figures in the first nine weeks of the financial year are still 1.6 per cent ahead of the same period last year.

Across the UK, John Lewis sales declined by 7.9 per cent in the week to October 1, to £57.5 million. Bosses said it was “a tough week” due to the “Indian summer” weather.