Very hot weather, the World Cup and the start of Wimbledon failed to dent the performance of department store group John Lewis in the week to June 26.

The retailer, which is considered the bellwether of Britain’s high streets, still managed to push sales 13 per cent ahead of last year.

The odds were stacked against the store group, admitted director of selling operations for John Lewis Region B David Barford.

Yet as the group’s summer clearance sale started on Saturday and “despite the hot weather and other numerous activities, we still achieved a creditable three per cent increase on last year and managed double percentage increases on every weekday”, he said.

Customers who stayed at home shopped online instead pushing sales at johnlewis.com 50 per cent ahead of last year’s figures.

Again Bluewater headed the store line-up with sales 28 per cent up.

Sales of electricals and home technology products were 10.1 per cent up on the same week last year. According to Mr Barford, large and small electrical products performed strongly as did vision with World Cup TV purchases reaching their peak.

Interestingly, John Lewis in Oxford Street reported like-for-like sales of electrical and home technology products up 17 per cent.