John Lewis shares ‘Shop Live Look’ report for 2020

John Lewis has released its annual ‘Shop Live Look’ report which looks back on the last 12 months examining how its customers lived, worked, socialised and shopped in a what it is calling an “extraordinary year that changed everything”.

The department store reveals that the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped its customers lives in almost every way. In a year when we couldn’t get out into the world, John Lewis’ analysis of its internal sales data and shopping trends, found that customers brought the world into their homes. 

From transforming spare bedrooms into workspaces to turning our gardens into summer holiday destinations, Britons fell back in love with their homes this year, explains the retailer, with nearly 10,000 home design appointments, both virtual and in-store taking place. John Lewis also saw a 19 percent increase in ready-made curtained and a 33 percent jump in paint sales.

Simon Coble, trading director for John Lewis, said in the report: “There’s no question. 2020 will be remembered as the year that changed everything. The global Covid-19 pandemic has transformed every aspect of our lives: how we shop, live, socialise and work. It has been a year in which people’s homes truly became their castles. We couldn’t venture out into the world, so we brought the world into our homes. We’ve stayed in, hunkered down, decked out and spruced up our living spaces. 

“No-one chose to have the year we’ve had. But we’ve accepted these changes with pragmatism and humour. We’ve brought holiday vibes to our gardens by buying pizza ovens and paddling pools. And the lockdowns have caused what we’re calling the Netflix Effect. Sales of chess sets soared as The Queen’s Gambit grew in popularity; berets rocketed due to Emily in Paris; and sales of floral wallpaper and patterned upholstery leapt thanks to The Crown.”

Netflix watching impacts on what customers bought at John Lewis

One of the biggest trends of 2020 was the ‘Netflix Effect’ explains the department store, with the nation’s favourite binge-watched shows including The Queen’s Gambit, Emily in Paris and The Crown impacting on what people bought in John Lewis. 

As The Queen’s Gambit’s popularity increased, so did sales of chess sets, up 121 percent, while sales of berets rocketed by 65 percent thanks to the show Emily in Paris, and patterned upholstery, such as chintzy floral curtains up by 20 percent following the launch of series 4 of The Crown. 


When it comes to what fashion Brits bought in 2020, it was all about being comfortable with sales of loungewear and leggings increasing by 1,303 percent, compared to May 2019, due to many people working from home. When we eventually ventured back into the world, John Lewis said that sales shifted to joggers, adding that “sales of loungewear this winter show no signs of slowing down”. 

While casual might have been the key to fashion sales, John Lewis did add that in the first week of December it saw sales of dresses in shops up 529 percent as many of preparing to celebrate the festive season in style. 

Other fashion items to sell well included sheer underwear and bodysuits, and slippers, with sales growing by 48 percent. 

Online sales at John Lewis account for 60-70 percent of sales

There has also been a shift in how we shopped in 2020, with John Lewis reporting that we have all been shopping online more this year and that online sales at the department store now accounts for 60-70 percent of sales before the pandemic it was 40 percent.

However, many of us are still using our evenings for online browsing with 8pm - 10pm proving to be the most popular time to browse Johnlewis.com. In addition, research shows that consumers have been using mobiles and desktops more for online shopping this year with traffic up 55 percent and tablet traffic down 41 percent compared to last year. 

With less people commuting, John Lewis explains that this has also made an impact on when people are shopping, with online orders on Johnlewis.com now spread throughout the day from 11am - 4pm compared to last year when orders were mainly placed between 7pm - 10pm. 

Sales of party handbags, high heels and lipstick down in 2020

When it comes to what consumers stopped buying in 2020, travel was off the agenda and that impacted sales of suitcases which were down by 69 percent. High heels also dropped off consumers shopping lists, down 62 percent since February as most customers opted for comfortable footwear such as slippers and trainers, while going ‘out out’ handbags sales fell by 56 percent, and lipstick took at 54 percent hit this year as mascara sales increased instead. 

For the men, formalwear toppled as casualwear boomed, with sales of cummerbunds down by 83 percent, braces decreased by 58 percent and armbands dropped by 60 percent. 


John Lewis looks ahead to 2021

John Lewis is predicting a continuation of casualwear for 2021, with next year seeing more fashion brands focusing on loungewear and athleisure. There will also be a continued focus on improving diversity and inclusivity the department store added. In November 2020, it saw strong demand for hosiery brand Sheer Chemistry, and said that it plans to work with more brands that celebrate diversity, quality, value and authenticity next year. 

The department store is also calling 2021 the year of the ‘baby boom’ as searches for ‘new baby’ on johnlewis.com in December up by 274 percent as new parents have been preparing to welcome a new addition in 2021. November and December have also seen high demand for nursery appointments. 

Images: courtesy of John Lewis