In the weekly sales figures John Lewis reported total sales were £89.1m, down 0.9% on last year.

Home sales were down 2.5%. However, the Christmas Villages continue to perform strongly and Halloween products were up 30% on last year.

Electricals and home technology was up 2.4%, driven by strong sales in communication technology. Apple products, including Macbooks and iPhones 8 and 6, performed well. Elsewhere, Sony and Panasonic TVs had a strong week, as did beverage products such as kettles and coffee machines.