Retailer John Lewis Partnership on Thursday posted an 11 percent increase in group sales to 3.0 billion pounds, helped by strong growth in electrical goods and home technology.

Profit before tax at the owner of John Lewis department stores rose 25 percent to 97 million pounds, while operating profit came in at 112 million pounds, again up 25 percent, it said in a statement.

We have had a really excellent start to the second half, so we are delighted with our sales increase at this stage, John Lewis Managing Director Charlie Mayfield added in a press briefing.

Within its department stores, electrical goods and home technology performed strongly in the first half with sales rising 27 percent, compared with total rise in like for like sales of 9.2 percent.

The biggest gain in percentage terms came from John Lewis Direct, where sales grew 70 percent.

John Lewis also announced the opening of six more of its Waitrose high end food stores in the second half of the year, adding to the six new stores already opened in the first half.

Total sales at Waitrose rose 11 percent to 1.8 billion pounds with like for like growth at 5.3 percent.

United kingdom