SAVVY Southampton bargain hunters have been out in force, helping many of the city’s shops to land record sales over Christmas.

Sales at Southampton’s John Lewis store shot up 28 per cent last week, making it one of the two best performers in the 27- strong group.

The WestQuay store is one of the major contributors to the company’s overall sales jump of 27.4 per cent.

The relative out-performance comes in a climate which has seen many retailers – such as Woolworths, Zavvi and MFI – go to the wall in a nightmare December for the high street.

The giant WestQuay branch of budget fashion retailer New Look was also a stellar performer, with the chain’s second highest sales in the country in the run-up to Christmas.

Bargain hunters flock to the shops after Christmas.

The contribution helped New Look post market-defying sales growth of 2.8 per cent in the 14 weeks to January 3.

Peacocks, another budget fashion chain and one of south Hampshire’s biggest retailers with 17 stores, reported sales soaring as high as 22 per cent up on last year over the key Christmas and New Year period.

Other shops with a significant Hampshire presence reporting a bumper Christmas include JD Sports, Greggs the Baker, Primark and Domino’s Pizza.

Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s, which has 35 Hampshire stores, was another major Christmas winner, reporting its “best ever” festive season and its busiest ever trading day on December 23.

Waitrose – the grocery stores arm of the John Lewis Partnership which has stores across the region – also did well with a seven per cent rise in sales for the week to January 3.

B a r r y Matheson, head of selling development for John Lewis, said a number of factors may have worked in the chain’s favour during the week.

“Was it the fall of the calendar?

Was it the weather? Was it driven by constant media reports of the bargains to be had? It is difficult to tell, but what we know for sure is that we delivered a truly inspirational result last week with sales 27 per cent ahead of last year.”