This week's big story: Christmas shop

Christmas Shop and gifting across all directorates signalled that the festive season is now front of mind for our customers. The week's stand-out products were Christmas hampers at +70%, Christmas trees at +24%, and confectionery advent calendars +42%, all compared to the same week last year.

Weekly trading update

After passing the £100m mark last week, this week saw sales of £114.2m, up +2.1% on last year and +5.0% week on week. Online sales were +13.4% year on year. The uplift came despite a challenging comparison against strong iPad sales from last year's launches and a return to unseasonably mild weather during the week. However, increases in Christmas Shop and gifting across all directorates signalled that the festive season is now front of mind for our customers.

Home sales were our strongest category of the week at +5.0% year on year, driven by seasonal items such as baubles, decorations and tree lights. The week's stand-out products were Christmas hampers at +70%, Christmas trees at +24%, and confectionery advent calendars +42%, all compared to the same week last year. Outside of the Christmas Shop gifting was also popular in the home directorate with candles up +15% year on year.

Despite the wet and unusually warm weather, Fashion was up 3.0% year on year. Classic gift buys performing well included premium beauty +14% year and year and jewellery and watches +8% year on year. Party wear pieces have also seen increased interest this week with our Kin formalwear tailoring range up +71% year on year. Elsewhere in the directorate, toys saw growth of +9% year on year with a particularly strong week for Lego sets at +46% year on year.

Electricals sales year on year were slightly down on last year at -0.8%, reflective of last year's strong iPad sales. True to the Christmas gifting theme, an impressive performance came from small electricals up +8%, with GHD haircare products up +52% year on year. Imaging also had a good week for gifting with digital cameras up +38% year on year.

Mark Lewis, Online Director, John Lewis, said: 'It was pleasing to see sales surpass the £100m mark for the second consecutive week. Looking ahead to Black Friday, we're hard at work behind the scenes to ensure that our shops, distribution network and johnlewis.com are ready to meet increased demand and offer the high levels of customer service our customers expect. In a busy retail market, our Never Knowingly Undersold commitment means that customers can be reassured that they will get the best possible prices together with our market leading guarantees on electrical.'

All figures quoted are total sales including VAT

• 2.1% year on year increase
• 5% week on week increase
• £114.2m sterling total
• 13.4% year on year increase johnlewis.com

Week on week increases are percentage increase in sales value.

What Britain's buying

(year on year % increase)

• Kin Formal Wear +71%
• Christmas Hampers +70%
• GHD Haircare +52%
• Confectionery Advent Calendars +42%
• Premium Beauty +14%.