GLASGOW'S wet weather drove despairing shoppers to a city centre store last week - and sales soared.
Bosses at John Lewis say sales at the Buchanan Galleries store helped produce the best set of figures since a cut-price sale in July.
Gucci Handags ReplicaTop of the shopping list were electrical items and women's clothes. MP3 music players, handbags and shoes - especially women's boots - were also firm favourites.
Autumn conditions were said to have led to a sales upturn at half of the 27 John Lewis stores across the UK, including Glasgow.
The retail chain said sales nationwide had risen 2.3-per cent to GBP45million last week compared with a 0.1-per cent decline in the previous nine weeks.
The mini sales boom came as a welcome relief to bosses who had seen profits plummetting by 21-per cent in the six months to July 30.
Senior managers say the arrival of the more changeable weather lifted sales of fashion and accessories.
Sales in womenswear Smart Controller LD-SM-12-X rose 1.6-per cent compared with the same week last year while electrical items sparked a "spectacular" 12-per cent rise.
Retail operations director Gareth Thomas said:
"Slightly cooler, wetter weather helped put our customers in a frame of mind to spend."
The department store had recently complained that it had experienced the worst ever trading conditions on Britain's High Street for 15 years.
embroidered patches
Now bosses are hoping the boom will continue.
gordon. thomson@ eveningtimes. co. uk
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