Christmas gifts 2015: Sales of BBQS, board games and prosecco gummy bears are on the up at John Lewis, but the halls will be decked in more muted colour themes
One of our favourite tipples has proven popular in a more unusual format, with sales of prosecco flavoured gummy bears bouncing 106 per cent week-on-week at John Lewis, the retail giant said today.
Meanwhile, post-Christmas lunch entertainment might be a low-tech affair, with sales of board games rolling in 183 per cent higher year-on-year.
And December this year has felt unseasonably mild for many but some shoppers seem extremely optimistic. Sales of BBQs are up 137 per cent this season.
Nicola Gidlow, buyer, outdoor living at John Lewis, pointed out that this unexpected purchasing trend might be less an indicating that Brits are swapping turkey for burgers and sausages and more because people want a back-up cooker to deal with any overflow from their festive feast.
As for how the halls are being decked, red, green and gold are out of fashion, with John Lewis shoppers stocking up on decorations in more muted schemes of copper, purple, soft pink and pearl white. Unless, of course, you're in Manchester – the region is responsible for almost a third (31 per cent) of John Lewis's gold Christmas tree sales this year.
For some, traditional baubles have been relegated to the loft, as people pick up tree decorations shaped like foxes and pheasants, to bring the outside in.
Clearly, there'll be a lot of decorating to do with all those high ceilings the country's households have. For real trees, seven-foot firs are John Lewis's bestsellers this year, although bigger is better for those in Bristol, who are buying the most nine-footers.