Department store chain John Lewis has said trading conditions remained challenging after its second successive week of lower sales.
The group reported a 1.4% drop in revenues for the seven days to last Saturday, following the 5.3% decline announced the previous week.
John Lewis enjoyed strong trading in July, but admitted the latest figures were a reminder 2009 remains “the most challenging of years for retailers.”
There was also an 18.5% rise in trading at online arm johnlewis.com.
The company, which has 27 branches across the UK, reported a return to form for many of the product categories to have suffered during the recession, such as bedroom furniture and white goods.
This was highlighted after the Office for National Statistics reported a 0.4% rise in sales in July, as a recovery in the housing market drove sales of furniture and electrical items in the month.