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Britons are preparing for a long summer at home by snapping up garden furniture and picnic paraphernalia.
And the fashion for Fifties-style austerity is extending to the dinner table with news of a massive leap in sales of rabbit.
These are the highlights from High-Street bellwether John Lewis Partnership, which reported an as-expected Easter week food-buying boom at Waitrose but was also forced to concede that trading at the John Lewis department stores remains deeply depressed.
The stores, where sales for the year so far are down 6.1%, are continuing to have difficulties with the big London branches among the worst performers.
Total sales of £48 million in the week — normally one of the busiest in the year — fell 1.5%.
At Peter Jones, its Sloane Square fixture, sales were off 9.2%. The outlets in the giant shopping centres saw Bluewater down 5.6% and Brent Cross off 4.5%. The Watford branch saw sales slip 12.8% and Kingston falling 6.2%. Even the flagship Oxford Street failed to make it into positive territory, with sales in the week down 0.9% on last year.
In a statement, John Lewis sales director Dan Knowles tried to be positive. “We have been fortunate to enjoy a more clement spring for the season and our trade in related areas has done well. Outdoor furniture is up 28% and picnicware is over 50% ahead of this time last year,” he said.
Sister supermarkets chain Waitrose said sales were 23% higher at £94 million in the week, boosting sales for the year so far by 3.5%. Personnel director Ailsa Emerson said: “A lot of people chose to stay in Britain for their Easter break. Many customers chose to cook an alternative dish for Easter with sales of rabbit increasing a massive 185%.”
