Department store group John Lewis continued to outperform last year’s figures with sales in the week to August 21 11 per cent ahead of the same week in 2009.

Retail director Andrew Murphy pointed out that 21 stores topped last year’s mark and eight went one step further and exceeded 2008’s figures.

“These top-performing branches posted rounded results right across the shop, including solid increases in electricals while also out-performing their peers in fashion and home,” Mr Murphy said.

As a whole, however, electrical and home technology assortments experienced more mixed results with sales just 1.1 per cent up on last year.