John Lewis saw sports sales take the gold last week as customers continued to be inspired by the London 2012 Olympics.

The employee-owned group said sport sales, including clothing and equipment, surged 178 per cent in the week to August 11, helping total sales jump 14.9 per cent to £60.75 million.

John Lewis, which is an Olympic sponsor, said the final week of the Games and closing weekend celebrations "certainly played a part in our success" as some 18 branches reported sales growth.

In addition, the company allayed fears that the event had turned central London into a "ghost town" as it revealed an 18.9 per cent surge in its Oxford Street store and a 5.9 per cent increase in its Peter Jones store in Sloane Square.

The figures follow official data released on Thursday, which showed a better-than-expected performance from the retail sector in July, with flat sales volumes, excluding fuel, against City expectations for a 0.2 per cent fall.

The period covered the first two days of the Olympics, but the ONS said this had no noticeable impact on sales.