DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis today reported a rise in takings during Christmas week after its clearance sale attracted bargain hunters.

But sales at its Southampton store at WestQuay shopping centre for the week ending December 27 were down 3.9 per cent on last year.

The group said total sales in stores and online were 1.2 per cent higher than a year earlier at £71 million.

The performance was helped by a record first day of its sale, when takings hit £21.4 million, up 7 per cent on the same day last year.

John Lewis said sales at Waitrose soared 40.6 per cent to £111.3 million after the grocery chain enjoyed its best-ever trading day on December 23.

The late surge in department store business came after the group suffered double-digit percentage falls in sales during November.

In the last full week of trading before Christmas, John Lewis said sales of consumer electronics rose 25 per cent, while it sold twice as many large televisions than last year.

Stores in Scotland - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen - achieved sizeable sales growth for the week to Saturday, while there were also gains at Peter Jones and Oxford Street in London and at Cambridge, Trafford and Newcastle.

Retail operations director Patrick Lewis said there was a ''real buzz'' in shops during Christmas week.

He added: ''After a difficult November, trade built steadily over the last month, finishing with a surge on the Sunday to Wednesday before Christmas. We then topped it all with a record first day of clearance.''

Marks & Spencer, Next and Debenhams are due to announce trading figures next week.

In line with other retailers, M&S has slashed the price of some products by up to 50 per cent since Boxing Day after 20 per cent discount days in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Nick Bubb at stockbrokers Pali International said M&S may report a seven per cent fall in third quarter comparable food sales and said general merchandise like-for-like sales could be down by 10 per cent.

The chain's heavy discounting will also put profit margins in the spotlight, particularly on food, Mr Bubb added.

Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight, added: ''It is evident that many consumers left buying their Christmas presents until the very last moment in the hope of getting the very best bargain possible as many shops increased their discounting and promotions.''