John Lewis picks Ninja air fryers, matching Christmas pyjamas and inflatable flamingo among decade-defining items

Christmas pyjamas – preferably matching – inflatable flamingos and the air fryer are among our shopping purchases to define the last decade.

Items we have most enjoyed spending our hard-earned money on, and which have contributed to retail trends during the last 10 years, have been revealed.

Scroll down for the full list.

John Lewis has delved deep into our shopping habits in its 10th ‘How We Shop, Live and Look’ report, which also hails the return of the ‘Saturday shopper’ in the past 12 months as cash-strapped households opt for more traditional family outings to the high street.

While the viral reusable bottle brand Stanley, outdoor sofas and energy-saving gadgets like the handheld fan have been popular items in baskets over the last year, the products regularly shopped for since 2013 reveal more consistent lifestyle choices and changes.

Our increasingly fast-paced lives may explain the appearance of the Ninja air fryer, which takes its place alongside the Ooni Pizza Oven as two of the most popular food-related products of the last 10 years.

The latter is understood to have become a particularly firm favourite during the years of the pandemic when outdoor socialising was king.

Wannabe baristas and coffee aficionados have driven a growth in ‘bean-to-cup’ coffee machines for our homes – while the KitchenAid mixer also reached icon status among bakers and earned its place on the list.

Other technology to have been loved and not yet lost over the last 10 years, includes gadgets we can wear – such as Apple watches and Fitbits –together with wireless headphones, which have become another shopping staple.

The growth in popularity of seasonal-themed clothing, and the trend for matching festive family nightwear also sees Christmas pyjamas make the list that best sums up our shopping habits.

And if they’re not enough of a fashion trend – we’ve seemingly enjoyed our Peaky Blinders era with the flat cap – while the jumpsuit has also stood the test of time say those in the know.

And as our evening and office wear has become increasingly casual yet stylish – smart white trainers have also become a favoured purchase as the years have rolled on.

When socialite Kendall Jenner modeled her flamingo pool float on social media a few years back – online sales for the giant pink inflatable are said to have rocketed by a whopping 213% overnight.

And it seems the American model and TV personality may have set running an insatiable trend – with the John Lewis list also appearing to confirm its far-reaching popularity by placing ‘inflatable flamingos’ among the decade-defining products.

But it’s not just the items on our shopping lists to have changed – with researchers noting that exactly how we shop has shifted too.

Back in 2013 online purchases represented just a quarter of John Lewis sales, which grew steadily to 42% ahead of the pandemic. Subsequent store closures as a result of Covid-19 restrictions saw this soar to 81% of all purchases during 2020 but since the end of lockdown, internet-based purchases now account for just over half – or 57% – of sales.

Ten years ago, amid the growth of tablet computers, John Lewis says it would experience a surge in sales around 9pm that often coincided with advert breaks between popular TV shows.

Fast forward an entire decade and website traffic is said to instead now build steadily through the day until 4pm when things plateau as school pick-ups, the end of the working day and the need to cook dinner takeover, before peaking between 8pm and 10pm as people shop from the comfort of their sofa.

More people, adds the report, now shop online between 10pm and 11pm than between noon and 1pm.

Kathleen Mitchell. John Lewis Commercial Director said its latest research shows how clearly shoppers develop new behaviours.

She explained: “Over the last 10 years, our ‘How we shop, live and look report’ has shown us how the nation's shopping habits have evolved, with customers forming new shopping habits and traditions.

“Within the last 12 months we have really seen a return to the shops and a return of style. Customers are eating, drinking, spending time in our shops and enjoying all that our stores have to offer – customer numbers are up 8% on last year as many families have discovered, it’s quite a good value day out!”