UPDATE 1-Halloween, early Christmas shopping lift John Lewis

* Weekly department store sales up 7.8 pct year on year

* Sales up at only four stores vs the same week in 2007

* Weekly sales at Waitrose up 10.1 pct year on year

(Adds detail, background)

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Weekly sales at John Lewis [JLP.UL] department stores jumped 7.8 percent year-on-year, boosted by demand for Halloween products and early Christmas shopping and adding to signs of a consumer recovery in Britain.

However the employee-owned group, which is seen as a barometer for British retail spending, signalled on Friday the recovery remained fragile, noting that sales rose at only four of its 28 department stores against the same week in 2007.

Sales totalled 61.9 million pounds ($102.3 million) in the week ended Oct. 31, led by an 11.7 percent increase in electricals and home technology products.

Sales of homewares rose 9.7 percent, while fashion sales were up 6.3 percent.