Experts at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Tu have revealed their predictions for the autumn months and upcoming festive season. Exploring search and sales data, alongside consumer research, the Sainsbury’s Seasonal Spotlight report uncovers what the nation is gifting, eating, drinking and wearing, as well as how they’re decorating this festive season.
Among the key themes for the Autumn/Winter season are:
Autumn and Pre-Christmas
Searches for ‘autumn decor’ at Argos soared by +2,274% in the first two weeks of September 2024 vs 2023. Looking ahead to Christmas, decorating the home for the festive season has been brought forward with Sainsbury’s customers purchasing Christmas decorations as early as September.
Gifting Galore
‘Kidult-ing’ is the new trend for Christmas with old school toys including Furby and Beyblades set to make a comeback as 34% of Brits plan to buy younger relatives the toys they enjoyed as a child. Searches of retro items are on the rise too, showing the nation is set to gift the golden oldies with record players (+22%) and flip phones (+21%) both significantly increasing. Pets are also getting in on the festive fun, with 38% of Brits planning to buy a gift for their furry friend this Christmas, a figure that increases to 44% for Glaswegians.
Colour Me Merry
The retro revival is back with bold, oversized Christmas decorations reigning supreme. Searches for multi-coloured Christmas lights also increased by +1,003% year on year as almost a quarter of Brits (23%) say they will opt for colour this December. Red wine hues are also making their mark on interiors and fashion choices.
NOËL-stalgia
Nostalgic décor and gifts are proving popular for 2024 too, with people taking a trip down memory lane to integrate old traditions with the new. Some 45% want to adorn their homes with nostalgic decorations and are looking forward to recreating memories for the most wonderful time of the year.
“We know our customers want to make the most of the festive season, with our research showing that 44% of UK adults enjoy the celebrations even more now than when they were younger,” comments Matt Leeser, commercial director, Argos, Habitat and Tu. “Our customers have already started to embrace their Christmas shopping, with visits to our Christmas page on Argos.co.uk already up by +121% compared to the same time last year.”
Top: Retro is among the top trends this Christmas reveals Sainsbury’s Autumn/Winter Trends report.
