To mark the launch of our Trends publication – a compilation of 2017s biggest, best and most bizarre trends – we’ll be releasing one a day in the countdown to Christmas. Trend five, In Line, Online.
We Brits love to queue. It’s built in, wired from birth, we’re programmed to stand behind someone and wait our turn. It’s part of our culture, and joked about world-wide. Queuing is as British as cricket, afternoon tea, and singing the national anthem, but something most of us partake in on a daily basis. The idea of joining a virtual queue though, surely that’s ludicrous?
Lush’s Christmas sale saw thousands of shoppers hit the site with some of our team openly admitting they joined the ‘queuing’ masses to get their hands on discount beauty products. ASOS, who trade purely online, saw record sales over cyber weekend and the Christmas period. Interestingly though, this behaviour isn’t reflected on the high street, with footfall at Boxing Day sales dipping 6.7% on last year.
What is it that makes us wait for hours online rather than minutes in the real world? We love the ability to shop in several places at once, comparing items from different sites – we’re multi-tabbed shoppers, flicking between stores and products instantly, in a way that just can’t be done on the high street.
It’s this feeling, of saving time and browsing at their convenience, which makes online shopping (and the queues which come with it) so appealing to our team. After all, is a queue really a queue if you’re not stood in line?
If you’d like us to post you a copy of the Trends publication, contact ideas@wearemagpie.com.
View Trend 01: Cacti.
View Trend 02: Witness the Fitness.
View Trend 03: Bonfire, Blankets, and Beer Halls.
View Trend 04: Innovation Generation: Giving What You Can.
