PricedOutNative Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 John Lewis sees 'outstanding' Christmas sales In common with the last few years, retailers report fears of a retail disaster over Christmas, encouraging customers to buy from them in their last desperate sales; then they announce another record Christmas LOL Also in the news: University says applications 'recovering' from decline If this is austerity things are really not too bad at all and there will be no HPC any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 re John Lewis...this was great news for them, and they say they did it by taking market share. That means...big drops for others in the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloomMonger Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't get the positive news John Lewis releases year after year. I don't consider myself rich, but am in the top 10% of earners and I never shop at John Lewis. Sure, you get a nice warranty and no questions asked returns policy, but at a premium. Who is shopping there? Unless everyone is spending their wedding vouchers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Used to use Waitrose a lot when I lived in London. They only have a serious presence in the South/South East? London is still booming evidently and the rest of the country can go to hell in a hand cart no doubt! Update: out of 35 stores, four are in London. Edited January 4, 2012 by "Steed" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresjohnny Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't get the positive news John Lewis releases year after year. I don't consider myself rich, but am in the top 10% of earners and I never shop at John Lewis. Sure, you get a nice warranty and no questions asked returns policy, but at a premium. Who is shopping there? Unless everyone is spending their wedding vouchers. It might not be your choice but loads of people shop at John Lewis - our local one (Solihull) is always busy and we (well, mainly the missus) buys a lot of stuff there. We bought a house a couple of years ago (ahem...) and we had quite a bit of stuff from JL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloomMonger Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 It might not be your choice but loads of people shop at John Lewis - our local one (Solihull) is always busy and we (well, mainly the missus) buys a lot of stuff there. We bought a house a couple of years ago (ahem...) and we had quite a bit of stuff from JL. And do you find their prices competitive? If your missus spends £1000 per year in JL, would you be happier if she saved £300 by buying elsewhere or does that small saving not bother you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban_hymn Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Used to use Waitrose a lot when I lived in London. They only have a serious presence in the South/South East? London is still booming evidently and the rest of the country can go to hell in a hand cart no doubt! Update: out of 35 stores, four are in London. I thought 35 seemed a bit low so I checked their website. They have 243 stores apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normal Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 The figures to 17 Dec: http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/financials/weekly-figures/john-lewis.html Online sales look like the biggest aspect of the growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lagarde's Drift Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 And do you find their prices competitive? If your missus spends £1000 per year in JL, would you be happier if she saved £300 by buying elsewhere or does that small saving not bother you? You've got it the wrong way round. The missus would be far happier having John Lewis labels on the guest towels instead of M&S. Her happiness translates into your happiness. Equally her misery translates into your misery, especially if she thinks you are a miser. Have a look at who is actually perusing the Egyptian cotton sheets or pine tables at JL - it won't be your typical HPCer that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diver Dan Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I thought 35 seemed a bit low so I checked their website. They have 243 stores apparently. Waitrose basic stuff like bread and milk is cheaper than most other places. I imagine that John Lewis is doing well because they have pitched themselves higher in the market than shops like Debenhams and M&S which could be a smart choice in th more socially and economically stratified society that the UK is becoming. Also the JL sales people ask if they can help you as if they actually want to help you and not just chase you out of the shop like in some places I've been to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia O'Keeffe Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Waitrose basic stuff like bread and milk is cheaper than most other places. I imagine that John Lewis is doing well because they have pitched themselves higher in the market than shops like Debenhams and M&S which could be a smart choice in th more socially and economically stratified society that the UK is becoming. Also the JL sales people ask if they can help you as if they actually want to help you and not just chase you out of the shop like in some places I've been to. knocking shops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19 year mortgage 8itch Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Have a look at who is actually perusing the Egyptian cotton sheets or pine tables at JL - it won't be your typical HPCer that's for sure. They're not from JL but proper cotton sheets is probably one of the few wise investments I've ever made. The trouble with some HPCers is that they prefer price over value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Update: out of 35 stores, four are in London. It is a bit more 'London-centric' than it sounds though, because the London stores like Oxford Street, Brent Cross and Kingston are the massive traditional John Lewis stores whilst a lot of the ones outside London are the new 'John Lewis at Home' stores which are much smaller. There are also quite a few stores in the commuter belt that don't officially count as London but may as well be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't get the positive news John Lewis releases year after year. I don't consider myself rich, but am in the top 10% of earners and I never shop at John Lewis. Sure, you get a nice warranty and no questions asked returns policy, but at a premium. Who is shopping there? Unless everyone is spending their wedding vouchers. I have always wondered about JL as well. What I think it is if you live in London - although they are now in other major cities - if you know what you want you know that you can get it in JL. So rather than trawling around London, on and off tubes, going from shops to shop, you just go direct to JL. OK, you probably paya bit more but it saves you time and you get a good warranty/returns policy. I was looking for a new pair of shoes in Swansea this week and wasted a couple of days of my life, plus costs, travelling aroun trying to find a pair I wanted. Would have been much easier to go into one big shop and just buy - for which I would quite happily have paid a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I thought 35 seemed a bit low so I checked their website. They have 243 stores apparently. I think he is talking about JL rather than Waitrose. JL actually have 39 stores now according to their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't get the positive news John Lewis releases year after year. I don't consider myself rich, but am in the top 10% of earners and I never shop at John Lewis. Sure, you get a nice warranty and no questions asked returns policy, but at a premium. Who is shopping there? Unless everyone is spending their wedding vouchers. I don't think there is a premium on a lot of items. They price match on all branded goods and often they just lower their prices automatically to match competitors promotions. I guess that the JL branded stuff may be more expensive than other retailers own-brands. I actually think that the reason they are doing well is combining a good level of service (warranty/returns as well as customer service) with competitive prices and having nice shops in top locations. What I don't quite understand is HOW they are doing that when nobody else seems to be able to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 look at this thread http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=171368&st=0&p=3168858&fromsearch=1entry3168858 any my comment http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=171368&view=findpost&p=3171835 this is a bit of a non story IMO, the last few years they have said before the Xmas sales, that sales are expected to be down, etc blah blah. they trot out retail "experts" and CEO's on the news saying how bleak it wil lbe for retail sales during the winter. shops start the sales early, and people see the sales are "real" discounts, which some of the time they are not. so that the UK public think they are getting a bargain, so spend more,[on credit] then in January the fanfair starts saying that sales were up 10% for the quater, and 3% for YoY. its just posturing at the mo. my G/F is caught up in it, we do need a new Sofa, ours are ok, but as we dont have the cash, and i wont pay on credit we wont get them. in the shop (DFS) its reduce from £1498 to £995 and she see that as a bargain, she wants to buy it now on one of their easy credit terms just incase it gose up in price. i asked her, can she prove that DFS ever sold that sofa for £1498? she decided not to answer. DFS ALWAYS have sales, i bet in a couple of months that sofa will be £899 or less, its all slight of hand from the retailers and i dont trust them one bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I have always wondered about JL as well. What I think it is if you live in London - although they are now in other major cities - if you know what you want you know that you can get it in JL. So rather than trawling around London, on and off tubes, going from shops to shop, you just go direct to JL. OK, you probably paya bit more but it saves you time and you get a good warranty/returns policy. I was looking for a new pair of shoes in Swansea this week and wasted a couple of days of my life, plus costs, travelling aroun trying to find a pair I wanted. Would have been much easier to go into one big shop and just buy - for which I would quite happily have paid a bit more. This is true, but maybe they are becoming victims of their own success. I went into the Kingston branch on the weekend and have never seen it so busy - 20+ people queues at every till point and the managers out on the shopfloor desperately apologising to the waiting crowds. I actually got what I needed elsewhere in the end which is unusual as I normally buy most things in JL if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 You've got it the wrong way round. The missus would be far happier having John Lewis labels on the guest towels instead of M&S. Her happiness translates into your happiness. Equally her misery translates into your misery, especially if she thinks you are a miser. Have a look at who is actually perusing the Egyptian cotton sheets or pine tables at JL - it won't be your typical HPCer that's for sure. True, they wouldn't be seen dead in Egyptian cotton. Sea island all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Next sales on target as online business outperforms Next has reported that its autumn and pre-Christmas sales were on target after buoyant online business made up for a poor showing at its stores.Total sales at the clothes retailer between 1 August and 24 December rose 3.1% compared with a year earlier, ignoring the effect of rising VAT. Next Directory sales grew 16.9%. But its High Street business, which sees some two-thirds of sales, recorded a 2.7% fall, sending Next's share price 4.3% lower in early London trading. So that means some of the increase is inflation/VAT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superted187 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't get the positive news John Lewis releases year after year. I don't consider myself rich, but am in the top 10% of earners and I never shop at John Lewis. Sure, you get a nice warranty and no questions asked returns policy, but at a premium. Who is shopping there? Unless everyone is spending their wedding vouchers. Yep. Correct all over. Kenwood Triblade -£59.99 at John Lewis £54.99 on co-op electrical Having said that their sales can be cheaper. In store I did find some items were cheaper then on the internet however. I bought some Swiss Kitchen knifes for £12 that are £18 on amazon. I was only in John Lewis a few days because I was looking to spend my £50 John Lewis vouchers (earned by winning a Halloween fancy dress - I went as Gaddafi). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I think what we are seeing is a polarisation of high street retail. John Lewis and Waitrose do well as those still in work / living on a decent pension continue to use them. Further down the food chain, Debenhams / Sainburys / etc. struggle as their core middle class customer starts shopping at Primark / Lidl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 they have to have one in leicester to service all the rich public sector luvvies who don't want to shop with the scum who pay their wages.we don't have any rich bankers in leicester for them to sevice and the BBC population is limited to the local radio station. I have to say Leicester has an excellent shopping centre now. I did wonder who it was mean't for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superted187 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I have to say Leicester has an excellent shopping centre now. I did wonder who it was mean't for. Does that include the world's biggest Sainsbury's at Fosse park? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I think he is talking about JL rather than Waitrose. JL actually have 39 stores now according to their website. I was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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