The 4.4 per cent drop in sales to £45.7million reversed the previous week’s 2.1 per cent increase.

Though John Lewis attributed the fall to the petrol tanker drivers’ strike, Howard Archer at Global Insight said it indicated that talk of a sales bounce back was unfounded.

He added: “Given that the John Lewis department store sales are generally seen as a good bellwether for the health of consumer spending, the marked decline in sales in the last week — and the general declining trend in recent weeks — reinforces the belief that the consumer is increasingly struggling despite the reported 3.5 per cent month-on-month jump in retail sales in May.”

Barry Matheson, head of selling development at John Lewis, said: “Given the almost daily reports of doom and gloom in the economy and housing market, it is perhaps no surprise that our customers appear to be taking a more cautious approach, particularly to major purchases.”