Delight as John Lewis exceeds sales budget and buck UK’s downward trend

Sep 12 2008 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

JOHN LEWIS’S new store at Liverpool One has exceeded its sales budget by 14% in the first three months of operation, bucking the UK high street’s downward trend.

The outlet’s managing director, Margaret Jacques, told the Daily Post she was “amazed” by its performance, which was in contrast to falling sales nationally across the group.

John Lewis, which is owned by its employees – who are known as partners – yesterday reported a 27% fall in profits to £108m for the six months up to July 26.

But the Liverpool store, opened at the end of May as part of the Phase One launch of the £1bn Liverpool One development, has defied the gloom.

The five-storey, 240,000 sq ft store is the group’s biggest outside London, and employs around 860 people.

Ms Jacques said: “We have really bucked the national trend in terms of our sales performance. The contrast is huge.

“In particular, we have performed strongly in fash-ions, having brought new brands into the store, and we have been able to hold our market share in electrical goods. Our beauty department has also been a strong perfor-mer, and we are delighted to announce the Liz Earle range will come to Liver-pool for the first time.”