published 16 October 2015

John Lewis has released its annual sales trends review ‘How We Shop, Live and Look’...

John Lewis has released its annual sales trends review ‘How We Shop, Live and Look’ and the findings confirmed that everyone wants a NutriBullet and mini succulents for Christmas, while absolutely nobody wants cutlery anymore.

The review detailed some of the biggest sales surges of the year, linking them to major events – a 30% rise in traditional Silver Cross prams after Princess Charlotte’s christening, a 141% increase in sales of cookie cutters when The Great British Bake Off returned, and a 75% boom in skinny navy suits after Eddie Redmayne donned one at The Oscars.

Other big trends included an 888% year-on-year rise in sales of mini houseplants (see, we really do love the succulents trend) and a spiralizer obsession that reached 100 sales a day in the retailer’s Oxford Street store alone.

Buying posh cutlery and crystal glassware is apparently out (we must be drinking all of our freshly juiced meals with straws, non?) and the humble bookcase is also a goner as e-book sales have taken over the world.

Bridget Jones-style big pants are also back, as thong sales have dropped, however there was a 93% surge in L’Agent Provocateur playsuits after the 50 Shades film hit cinemas in February.

Also on the out - loom bands, those weird elastic-y friendship bracelet things that all the kids were knotting around their wrists in 2014.

'Whether it was David Beckham’s 40th in Marrakech, a young Prince George photographed in his red cords or the lavish Italian wedding of George and Amal Clooney that inspired our customers this year, we curated our product range to meet all tastes,' Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis said.

'However, there were some serious events that had a more macro effect on the nation’s shopping habits, the main one being the General Election. As the nation awaited the outcome of the tightly-run contest, our customer numbers dipped slightly and sales of big ticket purchases such as furniture slowed. Postelection, sales recovered quickly, as a sense of a stable economic landscape returned. And when people were holding off on significant investments, little indulgences saw them through. (It was a good year for scented candles, Champagne, chocolates and gin.)'

'Public figures in the media also influenced buying patterns. A young Royal held court in the children’s fashion stakes, with Prince George’s traditional outfits leading to increased sales of boy’s navy knitted jumpers by 69% and red cords by 60%. And when Princess Charlotte’s Royal Christening took centre stage in July, sales of the John Lewis Christening category rose by 175% compared to last year.'

Marie Claire Newsletter