Hot

Coffee pods

UK shoppers are increasingly becoming coffee connoisseurs, using at-home machines which have made coffee pods a staple.

Tropical homewares

Tropical-themed homewares were all the rage in 2016.

John Lewis revealed searches on its website for flamingos increased 200%, with flamingo-themed wallpaper, fairy lights, cushions and mugs all selling well.

Colouring books

The craze for adult colouring books is still going strong.

WH Smith chief executive Steve Clarke said last year that the trend had “got a new lease of life” with extreme dot-to-dot and querkle – an intense colour by numbers – taking off.

Avocados

It was the year of the avocado, with searches for avocado-related products 85% higher than 2015, according to John Lewis.

The green goodness was everywhere, with customers using it in their beauty regimes as well as on their plate.

Wireless headphones

Apple’s move to axe the headphone jack on the new iPhone 7 stimulated a surge in sales of wireless headphones, such as Beats by Dre.

Not

Beige

From fashion to homewares, shoppers favoured a ‘brave, not beige’ approach with bolder prints and fabrics chosen to showcase individuality.

Alarm clocks

Alarm clock sales declined 9% at John Lewis over the year, as many people now rely on their phones to wake them up.

Selfie sticks

The selfie stick is so 2015! Searches for selfie sticks reduced 50% compared with last year on John-Lewis.com.

Tablecloths

Family dining took an informal turn last year as many people folded away their tablecloths in favour of casual eating.

John Lewis reported a 10% fall in sales of its tablecloths.

CD/DVD storage

With streaming services like Netflix and Spotify now the go-to for entertainment, an increasing number of shoppers are slimming down their DVD and CD collections, and their need for bulky storage.