Bristol has 'worst performing' John Lewis
The Bristol branch of John Lewis was the firm's worst performing store over the Christmas period.
Sales at the Cribbs Causeway store dropped 21 per cent in the week to December 27 - the biggest fall of the group's 28 UK branches.
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Overall, group trading for the company was up 1.2 per cent with sales at John Lewis in Manchester up by 19.4 per cent, with Oxford Street showing a rise of 14.4 per cent.
John Hayes, managing director of the Cribbs Causeway John Lewis blamed the poor performance on traffic problems around Cribbs on the Monday before Christmas.
Some drivers queued for four hours as they left the Mall and nearby retail parks, as roads struggle to cope with inbound and outbound shoppers.
Mr Hayes said: "Messages on the radio and TV urged drivers to stay away on the Monday, which we think rubbed off on to the following day as people feared they'd get stuck and were put off coming."
He added that sales this week so far at his branch are up 12 per cent on last year.
The Bristol branch, which has 1,000 staff at its Christmas peak, has suffered a run of poor trading since September - the same month that the Cabot Circus development opened in the centre of Bristol.
Richard Bonner, operations manager for John Lewis at Cribbs said: "We believe the opening of Cabot has only affected our performance by only a few percentage points as it still has a novelty value for people.
"People may be going there but when I've been I've seen very few people with shopping bags."
Danny Cox, retail analyst at Bristol stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown said: "There are a lot of competing sales out there at the moment, especially as Woolworths closes down.
"But I think the figures show there is an issue of location for John Lewis.
"People are keen to have a look at the new Cabot Circus - if you put a new shopping centre into a town, it's bound to have an effect."
John Lewis said sales at its supermarket chain Waitrose soared 40.6% to £111.3 million after the grocery chain enjoyed its best-ever trading day on December 23.
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by David Mitchell, bristol
Saturday, January 03 2009, 12:55PM
“Can I try and add some balance to some of this article and comments. I don't work for the company but I do know some things for sure. My understanding of the facts is as follows;
1. John Lewis Cribbs Causeway was not the worst performing branch over Christmas as the title of the article suggests. This was one week. Another salacious headline. Added to the fact that Cribbs Causeway is not in Bristol?
2. It is not factually correct to say sales have suffered since Cabot opened. Anyone reading the company's magazine can clearly see that this started in May 2008, a full 5 months before Cabot opened. Also, am I the only one to notice that John Lewis is principally a home and electronics retailer, Cabot is not?? So the assumption of this article seems unfounded and unintelligent to the casual observer.
3. The comment by Richard Bonner also seems correct. Even the BBC Local TV News commented a number of times on Cabot being very quiet and I hear from the Cabot retailers that life is tougher for them than those at the Mall. Just ask Fashion retailers in both locations! In fact, just ask any of the retailers in Cabot to comment and the answer guaranteed is "no comment"!
4. Danny Cox's comment from the outside looks ridiculous and this is only a way to get his name in print, "I think the figures show there is an issue of location for John Lewis" - I'd like to see his analysis to support this statement published - has anyone seen this?
5. I'm not surprised people stayed away in that week - the traffic has been chaos and the Mall Management and Police have failed over several successive years to sort it out. Its getting worse than ever and this year there have been 7 instances of traffic chaos around the Mall. Every time, the police either locally or centrally have failed to respond - even when requested. Even though John Lewis is not responsible for the traffic, they are hardest hit. If the infrastructure had been invested in like it has around Cabot Circus, with decent yellow boxes, junction cameras, a decent number of lanes and signage, the situation would be greatly improved. I have heard that John Lewis are now taking more direct action with the Mall and Authorities and moving forward even though it's not down to them!
6. John Lewis I understand wanted to stay in the Centre of Bristol over 10 years ago. However, the council refused to commit to a redevelopment. That is the reason they were forced to leave. They have had a policy for a long time to invest in City Centre locations but cannot do this alone. Additionally, I think the customer set in the Cribbs area is more their target?
7. All we need to see is a resurgence in the home market and our favourite shop will be back on its feet. I'd rather work for them than any other retailer in the UK right now.
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by Jim, Cardiff, ex Bristol
Friday, January 02 2009, 8:30PM
“It does seem quite damning that sales were down 21% when across the UK sales were up 1.2%. However, every year a John Lewis somewhere has to be the lowest performing, and if ever it's going to be in Bristol, it's going to occur in the year that a big new retail development opens in the city centre. And as for the south gloc's name debacle, I agree with Mendip Man. It's Bristol in all but name really.”
by MendipMan, Wurzel Country
Friday, January 02 2009, 7:08PM
“Yes, Cribbs Causeway is located in South Gloucestershire but most people (apart from South Gloucestershire residents) have never heard of that unitary authority and it is tacked onto the Bristol conurbation anyway.
South Gloucestershire is a stupid name as it only serves to confuse. South Gloucestershire is actually south of south Gloucestershire (the area around Stroud). No wonder people are mixed up.
A similar problem exists with the unitary authority of North Somerset and north Somerset (that area immediately to the south of the Mendips).
As for John Lewis it should never have moved to Cribbs Causeway from Broadmead in the first place. Might be all right for South Gloucestershire and north Bristol residents but it certainly isn't for those of us who live to the south of the city and beyond.
The 54 bus takes 85 minutes to cross Bristol from Stockwood to Cribbs, for example.”
by Help me ! Im Lost, South Gloucestershire
Friday, January 02 2009, 5:42PM
“John Lewis In Bristol? Now I am concerned, I have been paying my council tax to the wrong council for years. I thought they were in Sth Glos not Bristol.”
by cribbs is the best, bristol
Friday, January 02 2009, 5:12PM
“the number one spot to go for shopping is the mall at cribbs causeway free parking and good shops”
by lorraine, south glous
Friday, January 02 2009, 5:10PM
“nothing wrong with the mall at cribbs”
by you must be joking, bristol
Friday, January 02 2009, 5:10PM
“no way do we want john lewis back in bristol its ok were it is at cribbs causeway that is one of the best out of town shopping malls around these parts you dont get any tat at the mall you are thinking of the galleries (mall) in bristol”
by Captain Obvious, Obvious HQ
Friday, January 02 2009, 3:04PM
“It just doesn't fit in with all the tat up the mall, no wonder it lost customers, they're not exactly the sort to go to the Mall.”
by The Last Bristolian, Bristol
Friday, January 02 2009, 3:04PM
“John Lewis, please come back to Bristol!!”
by Paul, Bristol
Friday, January 02 2009, 3:02PM
“At the same time as loosing trade to the vastly improved city centre shopping experience, John Lewis are building a new store for themselves in Cardiff, again in a city centre, which will surely reduce trade further to their Cribbs Causeway branch.
Perhaps they will consider doing the same in Broadmead, and reverse the great dis-service their moving out of town caused Bristol.”