John Lewis A Top UK Company

Sales of GBP4.5 billion last year have kept John Lewis Partnership at the top of a table of the UK's 100 biggest private companies.The league table, compiled by The Sunday Times, includes four clothing retailers in the top 10. Littlewoods pips Philips Green's Arcadia Group for seventh place, despite a 3 per cent slip in sales to GBP1.8bn in 2003.

The Arcadia Group saw a slight drop in sales following the sale of Principles, and has slipped from fourth to eight place. Bhs has also slipped down the rankings, although sales remained steady at GBP882 million for the year to March 2003. The table's biggest riser is the Lewis Trust Group, which includes the River Island chain. Sales of GBP477m in 2003 moved the group up 11 places to number 65.

Among sportswear brands and retailers, Mike Ashley's Sports World International entered the chart with sales of GBP398m in 2002. However, The Pentland Group, which owns the Speedo, Ellesse and Red or Dead brands, was the biggest faller, down 21 places to 92 with sales falling from GBP436m to GBP380m for the year to December 2002.