Soggy weather, our quest for good sleep, retro 80s trends, preppy and Brat Girl fashions and travel returning to pre-covid levels were among the biggest influences on our shopping habits.
'Social shopping' is definitely in fashion. One in five (19 percent) of the 1,996 customers surveyed said they have shopped more with friends and family this year, and nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) of them said they like to combine it with other activities like eating out. This tallies with John Lewis data, which shows that more than three quarters of a million more customers ate in its Place to Eat restaurants over the past year.
Half of those surveyed (51 percent) said they like shopping with friends or family because it's a good way to spend quality time together, rising to 59 percent of 18-44 year olds. But only half (48 percent) want their advice on what to buy.
In the past year, John Lewis helped 35 percent more customers with personal styling appointments, and 49 percent more parents via its baby and nursery advice service. The number of holidays booked through in store Kuoni Travel counters also jumped 12 percent.
Peter Ruis, Executive Director for John Lewis, said: "We've seen a record number of app visits this year, but the enjoyment of shopping in person and expert face-to-face advice is here to stay. What's more, whether it's advice for new parents or personal styling sessions, we're seeing huge demand for our in-store services, as well as a significant rise in people turning their shopping trips into a bigger social event and enjoying our restaurants as part of their visit.
"Customers are also embracing new ways to pay. We've recently added Klarna and Clearpay, and this year 6.4 percent more customers have opted to benefit from the rewards of shopping with a John Lewis Partnership Card."
What we shopped for – fashion: Large bags, cut out swimsuits, barrel leg jeans, leopard print, ruffles and preppy rugby shirts. Small handbags were given the cold shoulder as we tired of forcing essentials into them and fell back in love with large, tote style bags which fit everything.
The number of small bags in the top ten bestsellers halved to just four. In fashion two new shapes stood out as a cut above the rest: cut out swimsuits and barrel leg jeans.
John Lewis sells 385 different swimsuits, but the second best-seller in 2024 was not a traditional cossie. It was the 'Hello Sailor' striped cut out swimsuit, bolder than a traditional costume, more flattering than a bikini. After years of the straight-leg silhouette dominating the jeans market, customers have embraced a new relaxed silhouette – the barrel leg jean.
Searches were up 60 percent on last year on www.johnlewis.com and it's the bestselling jean shape for autumn/winter 2024. Other fashion trends included sequins driven by 'Swifties', leopard print for the Brat Girl aesthetic, 'Chloe look' ruffles, and rugby shirts +30 percent bought to achieve the on trend preppy look.
