A senior executive at John Lewis has predicted the retailer will enjoy a strong Christmas season and is poised to outperform its rivals in spite of tough trading conditions.
Speaking to the Independent at the opening of the new John Lewis store at Westfield Stratford City, managing director Andy Street tipped the department chain to increase its sales by between four and five per cent over the festive period, with its online presence expected to play a key role.
“The expectation for John Lewis is that we will outperform a tough market quite dramatically. There are always winners and losers [over Christmas] and we are on course for the winners' enclosure,” he explained.
Mr Street acknowledged that the outlook for 2012 appears “challenging”, but suggested modest economic growth should leave shoppers with more disposable income. He forecast a slight improvement on this year across the retail sector.
Earlier this week, John Lewis-owned supermarket giant Waitrose announced plans to develop more than 100 convenience stores at Shell petrol stations across the UK as part of an effort to reach out to a wider consumer base.
