Retail report: Small TVs ‘left behind’, DVDs dying
October 23, 2018
By Colin Mann
According to retail group John Lewis & Partners, 2018 marked the year that small TVs fell out of favour with UK consumer.
Analysis of extensive internal data gives an insight into the products which fell out of favour, the trends that soared and the themes which dominated the year.
According to the latest edition of the John Lewis & Partners Retail Report, among the products left behind:
- The alarm clock – as people opt to use their smartphones, sales of alarm clocks were down 16 per cent.
- The small TV – it was all about the big screen this year as TVs and phone screens were supersized. In fact, screens have nearly doubled in size, from 36” in 2010 to the most popular +70” screen today.
- The DVD player – with the rise in popularity of streaming services, the DVD player has become old technology, down 40 per cent.
“This year was one of the toughest retailers have seen,” says the company. “Uncertainty dominated as the high street faced difficult trading conditions and political questions over Brexit continued,” it added, noting that major events that had a noticeable effect on shopping patterns, with the football World Cup seeing sales of 60” TVs up 249 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.”
“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.”