John Lewis has opened its Christmas shop a little over 13 weeks ahead of the event itself.
The department store said early demand for festive items included gift wrap searches being up fivefold on last year and charity Christmas card searches up 75%.
Christmas cracker sales were already up 25% on last year.
The retailer’s Christmas shops are now up and running across all of its stores, selling trees, lights and tableware to decorations, gifts and wrapping.
Cydney Ball, head of Christmas at John Lewis, said: “After months of planning, creating and bringing our vision to life, it’s incredibly exciting to finally open the doors to our Christmas shop and share it with our customers.
“Christmas at John Lewis is about so much more than finding the perfect gift or ornament for the tree. It’s about the anticipation, the nostalgia and those little moments that make the season feel magical.”
John Lewis said its shoppers appeared to be seeking out “retro classics”, with sales of the Native Union Pop Phone spiking by 186% last week alone.
Retro Christmas decorations on sale include a 70s disco mouse, a miniature arcade game, a cassette tape, and a classic sketch toy.
All stores will be holding talks covering a range of themes, such as how to build the perfect winter capsule wardrobe, a ‘treetorial’ on how to style and decorate the tree, and tips on how to set the perfect table for Christmas.
John Lewis is not the only department store to have already opened its Christmas shop, with Liberty and Selfridges having transformed significant areas in store into dedicated festive-themed spaces.
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