Alarm clocks and door knockers fail the test of time as thongs are in vogue
Alarm clocks and traditional door knockers are falling out of fashion as British households increasingly embrace technology, an annual rundown of sales trends from John Lewis suggests.
The department store has reduced its range of alarm clocks by 30 per cent after sales fell by 16 per cent over the past year as people turn to mobile phones for their wakeup call.
Sales of traditional door knockers have fallen by 9 per cent as homeowners invest in smart doorbells with features such as live video streaming and wi-fi-enabled apps.
The store said sales are up 367 per cent since it started selling them in July last year.
The days of small televisions and DVD players also seem to be numbered.
The most commonly sold screen size doubled to 70 inches from 2010’s 36-inch TV.
The rise of streaming services sent sales of DVD players tumbling by 40 per cent.
And while the trouser press may have been cutting edge in the 1960s, sales at the store have fallen 36 per cent in the Past year alone.
John Lewis said the year was “one of the toughest retailers have seen” as uncertainty around Brexit and difficult trading conditions dominated the high street.
The partnership reported a 98.8 per cent profits crash for the first half of the year. SIMON COBLE
John Lewis & Partners trading director
However, a number of major eventsencouragedconsumers to keep spending.
The football World Cup sent sales of 60-inch televisions soaring by 249 per cent, while corner sofas were up 87 per cent.
John Lewis also sold 40 per cent more barbecues between 24 June and 14 July than usual as the major sporting event coincided with a record British summer.
Sales of the Mulberry Darley bag saw a 327 per cent spike after the Duchess of Sussex was pictured carrying one, while her choice of a bright yellow dress for a Your Commonwealth reception in July resulted in sales of yellow dresses quadrupling.
The year’s series of extreme weather events spelled good news for sales of boots, up 63 per cent in February and March, and inflatables, up 316 per cent during the summer heatwave.
In the four months after the final episode of Blue Planet II, sales of reusable coffee cups, travel cups and flasks were up 71 per cent on last year.
The Love Island show also made its presence felt at the high street stalwart, spurring a rush of sales of inflatables and water bottles similar to those featured in the programme.
However, the “biggest surprise” for the retailer was a resurgence in popularity of the thong after years of declining sales, with sales up 72 per cent alongside suspenders, which were up 132 per cent.
Meanwhile, for the first time the majority of online shoppers (42 per cent) visited the John Lewis website via their smartphone, while the number of orders placed on mobile phones increased by 35 per cent.
Simon Coble, trading director at John Lewis & Partners, said: “It is fascinating to see what trends our customers have fallen in and out of love with this year and how big events like the World Cup and the royal wedding have such a significant impact on what we buy.”
Retailers Maplin and Toys R Us were among high street chains to collapse this year.
“It is fascinating to see what trends our customers have fallen in and out of love with this year and how big events… have such a significant impact …”