Editor's Note 30

high street sales. The fact is, however, that recent seasons have seen it doing somewhat better than its colleagues—last week it saw sales increases in the area of 10% compared with the same week in 2006. It has a growing online business and a refurbishment program across its department store portfolio. The group is also reportedly planning to double the number of department stores in the next 10 years with 24 more stores in planning stages. John Lewis was the boring old aunty of the high street five years ago. Today it is the store group that the others look towards.