John Lewis‘ annual report into shopping trends has revealed consumers are opting for escapism as searches featuring the word “unicorn” skyrocket and sales of women‘s suits plummet.
According to the report, last year‘s healthy eating trend saw a backlash as searches for spiralizers dropped 53 per cent while sales dropped 40 per cent.
Avocados remained popular though, seeing a 40 per cent jump in sales for avocado preparation tools, alongside a 25 per cent boost in egg gadgets.
Tech saw a shift away from devices like e-readers and sat navs, as shoppers increasingly use their smartphones to fulfil these needs.
Meanwhile, connected devices for the home saw a jump of 160 per cent.
Searches for the word “unicorn” saw a 70 per cent jump as unicorn-branded goods flooded the market.
Oddly enough, mermaid themed products also saw a 22 per cent rise in sales, and pool inflatables jumped 99 per cent.
Conversely, women‘s suits fell out of favour, with matching jackets and skirts down 10 per cent alongside a 10 per cent drop in push-up bras.
However, non-padded bra options jumped 20 per cent.
Unexpected trends included bookcases, Rubik‘s Cubes, record players and Filofaxes.
The retailer predicted that in 2018 men‘s shirts and homeware will be donned with bright colours and loud prints.
“How we shop continues to change at pace,” John Lewis director of customer experience Peter Cross said.
“Five years on, this report is as intriguing as ever – as much for highlighting what we bought as highlighting what we haven’t.”
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