John Lewis chairman Sir Stuart Hampson has said the GBP5-a-day London road congestion charge has hit trading at its flagship Oxford Street store.

Sir Stuart said in the six months since the launch of the charge in February, its Oxford Street sales are down by 7.3 per cent, compared to a 1.7 per cent increase across the rest of the 26-strong John Lewis department store chain.

He further urged Transport for London to postpone plans to extend the charging zone, which would also cover the group's Peter Jones store. He asked for more support for retailers through a publicity campaign to make shoppers aware that the charge does not operate at weekends.

The past season has been difficult with a sluggish economy, the Iraq war, heat-waves and the 3 month closure of the Central Line in February. The only factor remaining, which impacts Oxford Street lies within the congestion charge zone.