The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns saw sales of alarm clocks and lunch boxes slump, while purchases of loungewear and fitness trackers jumped.
John Lewis’ annual report, entitled How We Shop, Live and Look 2020 found that when, how and what consumers shopped for in 2020 underwent a dramatic shift.
Online sales at John Lewis comprised between 60-70% of overall sales throughout the year, compared with 40% in 2019, as shoppers faced with ‘non-essential’ store closures flocked online to buy.
The rise of at-home working meant that when people shopped also changed, with the most popular shopping hours for the department store chain occurring online between 11am and 4pm, versus between 7pm and 10pm last year.
The number of at-home deliveries during 2020 was also up by a quarter.
Working from home, school closures and a dramatic fall in the number of opportunities to socialise and travel also meant that shoppers had to make their homes work harder for them than ever.
Sales of paint and ready-made curtains rose 19% and 33% respectively, while sales of TVs rose 45% year on year.
By contrast, sales of suitcases dropped 69% while camera sales declined 31% as our worlds became smaller due to social distancing and travel restrictions.
The fall in commuting and office working saw sales of lunch boxes and alarm clocks fall 20% and 38% respectively. Sales of coffee machines and cereal bowls rose 22% and 36% respectively as we embraced slower starts to our mornings.
2020 was also the year we shunned dressing up and prioritised comfort. Sales of formal braces dropped 58%, small party handbags declined 56% and high-heeled shoes fell 62%, whereas slipper sales rose 48% and sales of loungewear and leggings skyrocketed by 1,303%.
Shoppers also chose to pamper themselves due to having more time at home and many salons being closed due to lockdown restrictions, leading to a 178% jump in sales of beauty tech year on year.
Customers also chose to be more proactive about monitoring their health as lockdown regulations forced gyms to close, with sales of fitness trackers up 64%.
John Lewis trading director Simon Coble said: “The world is a very different place than it was in January. This year we stayed in, hunkered down, decked out and spruced up our homes.
“The world is a very different place than it was in January. This year we stayed in, hunkered down, decked out and spruced up our homes”
Simon Coble, John Lewis
“At John Lewis, we’ve been quick to change the way we help our customers – from the launch of virtual services, bringing our Partners’ expertise directly into their homes, to offering them more local and convenient places to pick up their click-and-collect purchases.
“While this extraordinary year is drawing to a close, there are many lessons we’ve learned, from embracing time spent with loved ones to enjoying the simpler things in life, which will stay with us for the future.”
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