John Lewis, the employee-owned group viewed as a barometer of UK retailing, posted a small rise in weekly department store sales against a tough comparable number last year, adding to signs of a consumer recovery.

John Lewis announced that sales at its 27 department stores rose one per cent year-on-year to £54.1 million in the week to September 5, following a 2.4 per cent rise the week before.

"The combined effects of a late 'Back to School' surge, the resurgence of our consumer electronics assortment and some good weather made for a result last week that was better than we had dared hope for," department stores commercial director Andrea O'Donnell said in a statement.

"Looking ahead we will be annualising against weaker figures after the collapse of the first big financial institution last year," she added referring to the collapse of US bank Lehman Brothers.

"I see every reason for a mood of quiet optimism."

The upbeat comments chime with signs from several other Britain retailers that consumer spending is starting to pick up after a series of big interest rate cuts.

Household goods group Home Retail and electricals retailer Kesa both beat quarterly underlying sales forecasts on Thursday, though sales were still down.

Official data have generally supported hopes of a tentative recovery, though analysts were disappointed this week by a 0.1 per cent drop in the British Retail Consortium's measure of UK retail sales for August, and some are cautious.