A decade on from the first John Lewis How We Shop, Live and Look report, which looks back at the products and trends that shaped the year, we are a nation that has fallen out of love with DVD players and fidget spinners and gained a burgeoning obsession with air fryers and pizza ovens.
Over the last 12 months, we've seen customers return to shops, especially on Saturdays for a family day out where footfall is up 11 percent.
During the height of lockdowns, 81 percent of our sales came via the internet, this has fallen back to 57 percent with many dwelling in stores and hospitality and catering sales up 20 percent versus last year.
Posted: 1 December 2023
BAEKKE, the Danish sustainable jewellery brand, has announced a partnership with Wolf & Badger, the B Corp-certified platform curating over 2000 independent brands globally.
BAEKKE joins Wolf & Badger, known for championing skill, craftsmanship, and ethical production. BAEKKE's innovative jewellery, featuring interchangeable coloured beads, aligns seamlessly with Wolf & Badger's commitment to sustainability and ethical craftsmanship.
Founder Lene Schødt says: "Being part of Wolf & Badger is a fantastic end to our year. We've always looked to them for inspiration, and now, to be live on their platform is a real dream come true. This collaboration is a testament to our shared values of ethical production and quality design."
Posted: 30 November 2023
Anti Copying in Design (ACID), the UK's leading design and intellectual property (IP) advocacy organisation, and SnapDragon Monitoring, a renowned online brand protection and reputation management specialist, and have forged a strategic partnership aimed at safeguarding design businesses from the perils of counterfeits and IP infringements.
In today's landscape, counterfeiting poses a significant threat to all industries, as counterfeiters continually exploit genuine brand success to produce low-quality imitations of coveted products.
These counterfeit goods not only erode brand revenues and compromise IP, but also endanger consumers due to the use of toxic materials.
A recent SnapDragon survey discovered that nearly 20 percent of UK SMEs have fallen victim to counterfeit product sales, resulting in severe financial losses for 93 percent of them.
Posted: 24 November 2023
With just weeks until the big day, new research shows that 45 percent of Brits will be spending the same this Christmas as they did last year. 73 percent worry about finding the perfect gift and 98 percent are keen to support local businesses.
Despite cost of living concerns, over 45 percent of Brits will be spending the same this Christmas, with 33 percent spending more, according to new research from local gift card champions Town & City Gift Cards.
28 percent of people say they'll be spending £751-£1000 this Christmas, with the need to purchase gifts for friends and family given as the reason for Christmas spend staying the same or increasing.
Posted: 8 November 2023
The only international sourcing platform of its kind, Source Home & Gift, continues to go from strength to strength with over 430 exhibitors expected to be at its third edition from 4th – 7th February 2024 at NEC Birmingham. Uniting global manufacturers and artisan makers who all pride themselves on responsible manufacturing and sustainable production, with key retailers, brands, and contractors, Source Home & Gift increases in size by 25% with producers from UK, China, India, Philippines, Nepal and many more showcasing their wares. Debuting at the show will be pavilions from Senegal and Ghana. Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Sourcing says, "We are changing the perception of sourcing in the UK, doubling down on quality products and championing not only the large-scale global manufacturers but also the makers and social enterprises that are really making a difference to communities around the work. I continue to be blown away by the work people are doing and some of the incredible stories behind the products. Buying from these makers has an enormous impact on their lives.
Posted: 2 November 2023
Exclusive data from Kin + Carta, the global transformation consultancy, and Google Cloud has revealed that more than half of the UK's largest consumer facing brands see customer experience being the biggest area for AI innovation.
Business leaders from a range of consumer-facing brands, including Sky, EasyJet, ASOS.com and Tesco, came together for Gen.IE, an event co-hosted by Kin + Carta and Google Cloud to discuss the future of customer experience powered by AI technology.
Whilst there, attendees were asked: "What area do you see as the biggest opportunity for leveraging AI in your business?" with "enhancing customer experiences with innovative AI-driven solutions" coming out on top at 51 percent.
Posted: 26 October 2023
According to the latest annual report on the toy sector, Lego is the UK's most prominent toy store in 2023. The report, conducted by Salience Search Marketing, analysed 11 crucial performance indicators, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends, and brand awareness, for toy stores to reveal the names dominating the industry. Through analysing the number of monthly searches for each brand and calculating an owned social score which combines the number of followers and engagement rate across major social platforms for each brand, the report unveils the most prominent brands in the sector.
Posted: 16 October 2023
Ziggle Baby, the multi-award-winning baby gift brand, has recently commissioned research into the current demand and availability of baby gifts within garden centres.
The survey, which was conducted in June 2023, targeted females aged 25-45 who have bought or received a baby gift in the last 12 months.
The results showed a huge opportunity as 85 percent of respondents said they are interested in buying baby gifts from their local garden centre. The implication is that garden centres are clearly a type of retail environment of choice to browse and purchase baby gifts.
The relaxed browsing atmosphere with easy parking, everything on ground level, wide aisles and cafes is highly suitable for parents and extended families with prams, cars and accessibility concerns.
Posted: 6 October 2023
On the heels of latest ONS statistics showing a 0.5 percent rise in retail sales volumes in April, after a fall of 1.2 percent in March, FSB Policy & Advocacy Chair Tina McKenzie urged SMEs to have their say on FSB's Future of the High Street survey. She said: "These statistics prove the enduring potential of our high streets. A rise of 0.8% in sales in the three months to April 2023 tells us that our traditional high street still holds its own in the business arena. It's a feather in the cap of the nimble high street retailers that stay one step ahead of market shifts and trends.
Posted: 4 October 2023
ACID's trailblazing work and ongoing campaigning has been a game changer in championing designers and the importance of their intellectual property rights' protection. This has influenced and brought about positive change in the legal and political landscape. The Design Economy is one of the success stories of the UK contributing nearly £100 billion to the UK's GVA and the protection of its intellectual capital is critical. In its 25th year, they want to shine a light on, and celebrate with everyone the huge success that has been achieved since the organisation was co-founded by Dids Macdonald (a designer maker) and Simon Clark (an IP lawyer and Partner of Bristows). From a round table action group it has grown to be a key influencer in design law reform over many years.
Posted: 2 October 2023
