The 10th How We Shop, Live and Look report reveals the effect of the cost-of-living crisis on homeware sales.
Over the past year, John Lewis has seen customers shopping for cost-effective homewares, with a 41% increase in sales of microwaves, as well as extra warm duvets.
Making the top products that defined the year, was the Stanley cup, showing that consumers are continuing on their sustainable journeys and reducing their single use plastic consumptions.
Air fryers are now in their third year of unbroken growth for John Lewis. The retailer says the surge in sales was initially fuelled by celebs and influencers showing off increasingly unusual recipes on social media, but the SDA has now proved more than a viral fad, with sales last year enough for them – laid out – stretch from the Oxford Street store to the Reading store.
Perhaps as a sign of life returning to normal post-pandemic, drinks trolleys featured in the retailer’s ‘products we left behind’ list, with sales down 13%. Meanwhile, outdoor sofas saw an increase of 155% in sales, showing outdoor dining is still popular.
Looking back over the last ten years of the report, a number of housewares products made the list of ‘products of the decade’, including The KitchenAid, the Ooni Pizza Oven, the Ninja Air Fryer, and the Sage bean-to-cup coffee machine.
The report also showed a return to shopping in-store over the last year, especially on a Saturday, where footfall is up 11%. During the height of lockdowns, 81% of John Lewis’ sales were online, but this has fallen back to 57% with many visiting stores for days out, with hospitality and catering sales up 20% year-on-year.
Kathleen Mitchell. John Lewis commercial director, said: “Over the last ten years, our ‘How we shop, live and look report’ has shown us how the nation’s shopping habits have evolved, with customers forming new shopping habits and traditions.
“Within the last 12 months we have really seen a return to the shops and a return of style. Customers are eating, drinking, spending time in our shops and enjoying all that our stores have to offer – customer numbers are up 8% on last year as many families have discovered, it’s quite a good value day out. We are excited for what is to come as customers seek out a more contemporary look and a bit more excitement within the way they shop, live and look with us.”
