According to retail group John Lewis & Partners, 2018 marked the year that small TVs fell out of favour with UK consumers. “It was all about the big screen this year as TVs and phone screens were supersized,” the company said. “In fact, screens have nearly doubled in size, from 36” in 2010 to the most popular 70” screen today.”
70″ TVs are the most popular in 2018, according to John Lewis.
With the rise in popularity of streaming services, the DVD player has also become old technology, down 40%. “This year was one of the toughest retailers have seen. Uncertainty dominated as the high street faced difficult trading conditions and political questions over Brexit continued,” the company added, noting that major events had a noticeable effect on shopping patterns, with the World Cup boosting sales of 60” TVs by 249%.
Simon Coble, Trading Director at John Lewis & Partners, said:
“It is fascin
ating 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.
How we shop is changing at incredible speed and shops need to combine the very best in service and experiences with unique and fantastic products. And the mobile phone is vital in both as a means to browse and research but also as a place to buy”.
Analyst Comment
As we went to press, another UK retailer, Debenhams, announced big losses and store closures. (BR)
