John Lewis & Partners has just released its annual report which looks back on the past 12 months and what shaped the year...
The UK waged war on plastic waste, embraced the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) over the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), practiced mindfulness, and opted for staying in and informal dinner parties.
The nation also fell out of love with drones, which John Lewis stopped selling this year and landlines rang out of fashion, down 45% since 2014.
The high street retailer noted it was the year that its customers decluttered, invested in storage and did away with crammed cupboards and overcrowded shelves as the Marie Kondo effect swept the nation.
Harvard bar cabinet, £399, John Lewis & Partners.
HERE’S MORE ON WHAT WE’RE EMBRACING:
THE WAR ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
More mindful than ever of the damage plastic does to the environment, John Lewis customers chose to cut down on their plastic use. Travel mugs, reusable water bottles and lunch boxes are now everyday essentials. A growing range of brands are innovating with new materials and designs, so staying eco-friendly while eating your leftovers is easy.
Within the last year, the retailer has launched collapsible coffee cups, reusable travel cutlery and reusable beeswax sandwich wrappers – and it’s seen a huge demand for stainless-steel reusable straws.
iridescent metal straws, pack of 3, £12, John Lewis & Partners.
Find more stylish ways to Reduce Plastic at home and on the go.
THE TIDY REVOLUTION
2019 was the year to tidy up and get serious about storage. The launch of a new series from organisation expert Marie Kondo kickstarted the tidy revolution, showing viewers how storage could be both beautiful and functional.
John Lewis’ customers fully embraced the chance to do away with crammed cupboards and overcrowded shelves. Stylish baskets are one of its best-selling storage solutions, fashioned from natural materials including seagrass, water hyacinth and jute (a natural vegetable fibre).
PLANT LIFE
Green is not just for upholstery and walls. Living spaces today often feature botanical elements, particularly easy-care succulents. Sales of the John Lewis Little Botanical plant “gangs” went wild, with the New Home range, proving most popular.
Peony Artificial Aloe Plant in Marble Pot £100, John Lewis & Partners.
COCKTAIL NIGHTS IN
The growing popularity of artisan, boutique spirits and infused tonics have made it possible to emulate the kind of cocktails that mixologists would be proud of. Consequently, the store is witnessing the return of the home bar, with drink trolleys up 136% and drinks cabinets and decanters back in vogue.
Riya drinks trolley, £299, John Lewis Partners.
SMART SECURITY
Increasingly, we want the ability to receive instant alerts when someone rings the doorbell and speak to visitors from their smartphones. The store grew its home monitoring range by 20% in 2019, as clever new solutions entered the market to help us keep an eye on our homes, wherever they are.
WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND:
Drones
Following the disruption in UK airports in December 2018, John Lewis decided to stop selling drones this year.
Landlines
With its customers preferring to rely solely upon their smartphone to stay in touch with family and friends, the store saw sales of landlines down 20% this year, down 45% since 2014.
Cocktail shakers
With artisan tonics dominating the drinks trolleys, it seems customers were opting to stir rather than shake.
Fish Kettles
As formal dinner parties fell from favour, the retailer decided to stop selling fish kettles.
See more current Home Trends.
