Full-year sales at UK's John Lewis department stores could fall 35%

Britain's John Lewis Partnership said sales at its department store chain could decline by around 35% over the full year in a worst case scenario due to the coronavirus crisis, it said on Tuesday.

The employee-owned group, which also owns the Waitrose supermarket business, said sales at John Lewis were down 17% year-on-year since the middle of March and down 7% since 26 January. Waitrose sales are up 8% since Jan. 26.

The company, which has shut all its department stores in the national lockdown, said it had seen a surge in online demand but said many of the most sought after items were in less profitable lines. "We are buying more Scrabble but fewer sofas," it said.