John Lewis states that Crocs have defined 2021

Department store John Lewis has published its ‘Shop, Live, Look’ report for 2021, which reveals that the work-life balance has shifted towards life, with tents, air fryers, trampolines, Speedos and Crocs among the products that defined the last 12 months.

The annual report, which looks back at the products and trends that shaped the year, states that sales of footwear brand Crocs were up 58 percent after being worn by contestants on Love Island and being spotted on the Oscars red carpet. While the trend for wild swimming helped sales of Speedo’s men’s swim briefs double over the year. There was also the Tom Daley effect, he won his Olympic gold medal wearing a pair of very small trunks, and total sales of Speedo swimwear increased by 79 percent.

John Lewis adds that TV screens became consumers new shop windows as viewers adopted the fashion and lifestyle trends they watched on shows such as Friends: The Reunion, Line of Duty and Clarkson’s Farm.

TV show The Undoing caused sales of colourful coats to rise by 49 percent and online searches for neck scarves increased by 148 percent, while The Friends Reunion created a wave of Nineties nostalgia, and Jeremy Clarkson becoming a farmer on Clarkson’s Farm saw sales of women’s wellington boots increase by 53 percent.

John Lewis also adds that Line of Duty caused sales of waistcoats to rise by 114 percent between May and August when the show was on the air. With the retailer explaining that it knows the series was behind this trend as prior to it starting, waistcoat sales were down by 75 percent.

Consumers snap up Crocs, speedos and skincare in John Lewis’ ‘Shop, Live, Look’ report for 2021
While in beauty, it all became about skincare instead of make-up as people had more time for their wellness routines. Skincare accounted for over a third of John Lewis’ beauty sales, while sales of cosmetics fell by a fifth as people spent more time at home. Customers also became more interested in the ingredients in their products, with vegan and eco-friendly beauty lines remaining popular.