John Lewis’ latest retail report has delved into the trends that have driven sales in 2019 and those that fell by the wayside.
The department store retailer’s 2019 Retail Report tracked the changing trends of consumer shopping habits across the year. We took a closer look at the influences that determined how shoppers have spent so far this year.
2019 has been the year of the printed dress in women’s fashion, with sales of print dresses up 20.4% year on year at John Lewis driven by a whopping 333% increased in leopard print sales, while snakeskin and zebra print sales rose 241% and 230% respectively.
The department store retailer said this year has seen FOMO (fear missing out) replaced by JOMO (joy of missing out) as shoppers spent their cash on items that made staying in more luxurious. Sales of women’s luxury loungewear rocketed 129%, while sales of 82” televisions soared 377% and drink trolley sales rose 136%.
But despite spending more on staying in, shoppers left behind some of the traditional trappings of at-home entertainment. Sales of cocktail shakers declined 20%, while fish kettles stopped being stocked by the retailer this year due to lack of demand.
Women’s clothing preferences shifted to utilitarian chic in 2019 as shoppers prioritised comfort over flashing flesh. Sales of suspenders may have declined 8% in the year, but t-shirt bras and non-wired bras both recorded sales rises of 81% and 65% respectively. Sales of women’s maxi dresses rose 179% since last Christmas, while mini-dress sales were so subdued that John Lewis decided to remove them from its own brand range.
Television played a key role in driving purchases in 2019. Fleabag fever drove a 66% leap in sales of black jumpsuits, while the ongoing influence of Blue Planet II drove a 1,573% jump in sales of reusable straws. Environmental concerns also spurred a 176% boost in portable cutlery sales, while sales of reusable bottles climbed 15%.
Netflix phenomenon Tidying Up with Marie Kondo also spurred UK shoppers to spark joy and spruce up their homes, with sales of storage boxes and clothing hooks rose 47% and 36% respectively.
No comments yet