John Lewis, the employee-owned department store, has seen online sales of clothing surge since it revamped its website last month, introducing a host of new fashion brands.

Robin Terrell, managing director of John Lewis Direct, said the group had targeted £8.5m of additional sales from the relaunched fashion website in the half year to the end of January. It now expected to reach this target in early December. “The results we have seen have blown us away,” he said.