The department store has invested nearly £40m in its new website during the three year project, which is the foundation for future online growth and its customer-focused omnichannel strategy.

Mark Lewis, who has recently joined the retailer as online director, said: “Passing the £1bn milestone almost an entire year ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement for us, and a reflection of how central online shopping has become to our customers.

“We have a leading omnichannel strategy which our customers love, but to continue to deliver the service our customers want, we need a website which will serve us as well as the old one did, and maintain our position as a leading innovator in online retailing.”

The new website features new functionality including an enhanced wish list function, search history, and more inspirational content, with more customer-focused functionality planned for the future. With mobile now accounting for over 25% of traffic to johnlewis.com, the retailer has also revamped its mobile offer to mirror the creative design of the main site, and plans to launch a new app with details to follow later this year.

Paul Coby, IT director at John Lewis, said: “With sales up over 40% for johnlewis.com in 2012, we are seeing an unprecedented pace of online growth and customers are making more demands on our website, than ever before.

“The billion-pound success of johnlewis.com is a reflection of our strategy to put the customer at the heart of our online operations. Early testing at every stage of the build, and inviting over 3 million customers to use our beta site before full launch, has resulted in what we believe will be an outstanding experience and journey for customers.

“We have designed the new site to incorporate the best features of our previous site making it not only easy and intuitive to use, but inspiring to shop.”

The site also features a prominent feedback form, which generates around 300 pieces of feedback a day, which the retailer will use to prioritise issues and spot trends.

We’re counting our pennies and buying fewer treats today

MINTEL’S annual report on British Lifestyles highlights the legacy of the economic downturn inBritain, and finds that “savvy” ways are here to stay

With the lifestyles of many consumers inBritainin a state of flux over the past five years, the report reveals the legacy of the economic downturn.

When asked about how their spending habits have changed over the past five years, 56% of all Brits – 23 million adults – claim to buy items only when absolutely needed.

And 37% say they are buying fewer treats for themselves and their families.

While 22% of consumers agree they have been better off over the past year, 36% say things have become more difficult.

The same number of Brits claim to go on fewer holidays, and 17% are working longer hours because of the downturn.

In addition, while 60% were perfectly happy with their standard of living in 2008, this figure fell to 50% in 2012.

Today, the top three financial priorities for British consumers are: 1. Keeping up with bills (82%). 2. Adding to rainy-day savings (67%). 3. Saving for big ticket purchases (58%).

Just 6% of adults admit they haven’t changed their spending habits in response to the economic downturn.

Ina Mitskavets, Mintel’s Senior Consumer and Lifestyles Analyst said: “ British consumers are adjusting to the new economic reality, with financial prudence and savvy shopping already the default for many.

“They are working harder and saving more money for the future, as a direct consequence of the recession.

“The reduced desire to fritter away hard-earned income on ‘nice-to-haves’ will shape retail offerings.

“It will also have far-reaching implications for consumer expectations about quality, price, product variety and customer service.”

Mintel’s research also examines the value of every consumer market covered by its market research, and the impact of consumer-spend on market sectors to 2017.

Consumer spend, valued at £999 billion overall last year, is set to grow a further 17% between 2012 and 2017 to reach £1.17 trillion.

Key consumer sectors which stand to benefit in the next five years include: non-alcoholic drinks (set to increase 25%), in-home food (+20%) and beauty and personal care (+18%).

The slowest areas of growth will be technology and communications (+5%), home and garden (+7%), food service (+7%), holidays (+9%) and leisure and entertainment (+11%).

The coffee and energy drinks markets, highlighting consumer demand for functionality in non-alcoholic drinks – and especially energy-boosting in difficult economic circumstances – broke the billion mark in 2012.

The energy drinks market grew 78% between 2007-2012 to reach £1 billion in 2012, and the coffee market improved 34% over the same period to reach £1 billion last year.

Consumers totalling 62% claim their purchasing habits of non-alcoholic drinks have not changed in 2013, in comparison with 2012.

Home-baking and crisps are star performers, while bread fails to get a slice of the action.

Valued at £76 billion, the majority of consumers (52%) are spending “about the same” on in-home food at the beginning of 2013 as they were at the start of 2012.

The economic downturn kick-started a renaissance in the home-baking market, with some 34% of Brits cooking or baking more from scratch, and value sales rocketing by 84% over the past five years to reach £410 million in 2012.

Expenditure on crisps, nuts and snacks increased by 29% to £3.3 billion from 2007-12. But expenditure on bread and baked goods has been unconvincing, growing just 1.5% to £3.6 billion over 2011-12.

When times are tough, women often use beauty products as an affordable way of lifting their mood. The so-called “lipstick effect” has held true throughout the recession, with the UK beauty and personal care industry estimated at £10.6 billion and showing total growth of around 16% between 2007-2012 – the equivalent of an additional £1.3 billion.

And despite theUK’s population growth of 5.3 million in that period, this still equates to an 11% rise in per capita spend.

The beauty and personal-care market is also expected to grow by 18% in those five years, with the highest growth projected for shampoos (25%) and conditioners (26%).

Sales of dishwashing products have outperformed the overall household care market between 2007-2012, growing by 16% compared with a 10% growth for the household-care market as a whole.

And though sales of dishwashing machine products have been virtually static over the past two years, handwashing products have been the star performer in the market, sales of washing-up liquid increasing 5% alone between 2011-2012.

Valued at £5.3 billion, the household-care market is projected to achieve further growth of 12% between 2012-2017.

The domestic holiday segment has performed well since the crash, growing 19% in value in the 2007-2012 years. Some 13% of consumers have taken more holidays in theUKand fewer overseas as a result of the recession.

However, while the domestic segment has benefitted from consumer efforts to cut costs in that time, the overseas segment has suffered.

The value of the long-haul holiday market fell by 6%, while the short-haul segment saw a 10% drop. Some 54% of adults agree that it is important to get a sunny break each year, half (51%) prefer overseas holidays to holidays in theUK.

The booze market has seen steady growth throughout the recession, driven by the off-trade and reaching a total of £39.5 billion in 2012. It is estimated to grow to £45 billion by 2017.

The British Lifestyles researchers report asked consumers how they would spend a £1,000 Lottery win and the top five things they would use the cash for are:

1.Holiday(27%). 2. Put aside for a rainy day or an emergency (23%). 3. Give it to a family friend (12%). 4. Spend on home improvements (11%). 5. Pay off outstanding bills (11%).

But while holidays remain the top desire for would-be Lottery winners, home improvement has seen a vast decline.

Ina Mitskavets added: “As the economic climate is taking its toll, people are increasingly looking for ways to get away from the doom and gloom, which is a reflection of the popularity of holidays.”

In the case of the photo, obviously not enough preparation had gone into this particular purchase!

Among our best sellers are sofa beds, which can be made to size and in a material of your choice at no extra cost.

Fashions come and go, and those of us who are “mature” will remember some of our fashion disasters, particularly from the 70s! But we thought we looked great at the time.

However, whatever outfit you buy isn’t the end of the world, because you don’t wear it every day, and you can always consign it to the back of the wardrobe.

I’m sure I have a pair of jeans in my wardrobe somewhere that are older than my teenage children!

It’s the same with haircuts. Styles come and go, but even if you do have a disaster, it will grow out eventually.

But furniture is a rather more permanent investment, and worthy of some thought and preparation.

We often go to clients’ houses to check the layout of their room and measure up to make sure the sofa will fit, as well as check that the colour will tone well with other

items, such as the floor tiles or curtains.

Sometimes, we can see a different way to lay out the room to better effect. That’s because when you are familiar with a space, you often can’t imagine it organised any other way.

This week, we went to look at a potential show flat in Puerto Santiago. The lounge was very large, but quite long and narrow.

But by changing the sofa from one side of the room to the other, it was possible to use more of the space as the lounge part, and less as the dining area.

It was more efficient use of the space, and more pleasant in appearance.

This advice is free of charge, and all part of the interior-design service.

So give some serious thought to your furniture purchases and, if in doubt, make sure you get some advice – or at least a second opinion!

It reached the magical milestone one year ahead of schedule, having recently revealed that web sales had risen 41% to £959m in 2012.

John Lewis is the latest retailer to highlight the shift towards online shopping.

The company had expected online sales to reach the £1bn mark in 2014, but IT director Paul Coby, put the swift increase down to “an unprecedented pace of online growth”.

With online mobile access now accounting for over 25% of traffic to johnlewis.com, the retailer has also revamped its mobile offer and plans to launch a new app later this year.

Tesco,Britain’s biggest supermarket chain, has also seen the light, scrapping more than 100 plannedUKstore developments to focus more on internet sales.

These reached £3bn after rising 13% in the year to 23^rd February.

Department store Debenhams also saw its online sales soar – up 46% in the six months to 2^nd March, which helped offset falling high street trade amid the adverse weather earlier this year.

As if to prove the point, new research from Mintel reveals that in the last year alone, the number of bike-riders in the UK has risen from just 34% of the population in January 2012 to four in 10 (41%) in November 2012.

Today, an impressive 50% of British men are taking to their bikes, whileLondon(53%) is the cycling capital of the nation.

And as the number of cyclists continues to rise, Mintel’s research shows that 6% of British consumers (amounting to 3.1 million Brits) are taking to two wheels “most days”.

While 8% go cycling two or three days a week, the same number cycle on a weekly basis. Indeed, in terms of weekly participation, the figure rises to more than 22% of consumers – adding up to over 11 million bike loving Brits.

In terms of increased participation, most of the growth in cycling has occurred among those who cycle 2-3 days a week – increasing from 6% in January 2012 to 8% in the November.

Michael Oliver, Senior Leisure Analyst at Mintel, says: “Interest in cycling continues to grow, with a combination of factors contributing to consumers seeing cycling in a different light.

“Undoubtedly, there is considerable momentum behind bikes at the moment, driven by high-profile sporting successes in the Tour de France and Olympics, rising fuel prices and higher public transport costs.

“As an environmentally-friendly type of outdoor exercise, cycling is very much in trend.”

The market for bicycles, valued at £705 million last year, was up from £650 million in 2011.

But while bike sales have risen, the market has not performed as well as might have been expected by some in the industry, because of adverse weather in the second half of the year.

Despite slower-than-expected growth, value increase in the market reflects a continued shift towards the more premium-priced road bikes, as well as a recovery in sales through the Cycle to Work scheme.

But while recent growth has been somewhat staid, the wheels are in motion for a boom in sales because Mintel forecasts that the market will grow a spectacular 23% in the next five years, to reach £869 million by 2017.

“While there is a lot of positive sentiment surrounding cycling at the moment, there has yet to be a significant jump in sales of new bicycles,” says Mintel’s Michael.

“There are several factors contributing to slower-than-expected growth. There’s a weakness of economy and consumer confidence, plus poor weather in the second half of 2012.

“Also, anecdotal evidence suggests that a lot of people taking up cycling in 2012 were re-commissioning old cycles they already owned and not buying new.”

While the cycling bug grips the nation, previous Mintel research has found that 49% of Brits agree that it is too dangerous to ride a bicycle on the road, those living in London being the most likely to agree with this statement (58%).

A further 41% of Brits say that dedicated lanes or routes would encourage them to cycle more often (peaking at 46% inLondon),

“The tide appears to have turned in central and local government in terms of their attitudes towards the provision of cycling facilities,” says Michael. “This could result in making cycling a lot safer, particularly in towns and cities.

“If this happens, the evidence from several trial schemes around the country shows that there will be strong growth in cycling usage, and this can only be good for sales of new bicycles in the long term.

“The recent announcement by London Mayor Boris Johnson of a 10-year, £913-million plan to make cycling in the capital safer – including an east-west “Crossrail for cyclists”, backroad “quietways” and a “grid” of central London cycling routes – is a bold statement of intent and has been positively received by cycling bodies and London cyclists.”

Leisure riding is the most popular type of cycling, with two-thirds of cyclists going out at the weekends, either alone or in a group.

General-purpose riding, such as going to the shops or visiting friends, is also extremely prevalent with 40% cycling for this reason.

Meanwhile, 25% of cyclists use a bicycle to commute and 13% use a bicycle to go to their place of education. Off-road riding is a comparatively minor branch of the sport at 13%.

While different types of buyers look for different qualities in a bicycle, the biggest differences are evident between genders.

Men are notably more likely than women to attach importance to the specification and equipment on a bicycle (36% v 27%) and the brand (24% v 18%) is also important to them.

In contrast, women are much more concerned than men about a bicycle being an affordable price (80% v 74%), its styling, colour or décor (29% v 19%) and the quality of after-sales service (17% v 12%).

Michael adds: “Overall, perhaps the most surprising aspect is the lack of importance attached to brand, with price, specification and styling, colour or décor being seen as more important than whether a bicycle is a brand that the potential buyer is familiar with.

“To a certain extent, this reflects the lack of investment in branding by the major suppliers and indicates that there is the potential for a supplier to really make itself the brand that stands out, perhaps through capitalising on its association with one of the big British cycling stars of the moment.

“It also provides encouragement for new brands because it demonstrates that a well-priced, well-specified, well-designed bicycle will always sell, regardless of whether or not people have heard of the brand.”

However, it’s not all about Brits going wheely mad for cycling. While a 33% of them who have ridden in the past would consider doing so again, 18% of former cyclists are resigned to a bike-free future.

The company, which sells quality furniture and just about every conceivable item for the home, has been established for over 12 years in its current location.

That also makes it theIsland’s oldest-established second-hand shop.

The shop has been a regular advertiser with theCanarian Weeklyfor many years, and current owner Gary Ord recently found a copy of theCanarian Weekly, issue 443 from March 2006, with a full-page Rotations supplement.

Gary, who has been at Rotations for three years and has owned it for the past two, says proudly: “The business is going from strength to strength.

“We have a good customer relationship, and liaison with several local businesses, which contribute to our success.”

The lay-out of the shop and standard of furniture and items for sale are very much improved, and Rotations is run on a daily basis by Gary and Dave, who both originate fromWest Yorkshire.

They are Rugby League fans of Bradford Bulls & Castleford Tigers respectively, and the banter between these Yorkshiremen keep their customers entertained handsomely.

Rotations is fully stocked with quality items you would need for your home or rental property. In fact, you can fit out your property completely with good, value-for-money, second-hand items there.

The company also buys and sells all household, bar and cafe items, at fair, competitive prices, and it specialises in full clearances.

Other services offered are removals and deliveries, upholstery cleaning, and maintenance services (decorating, electrical and plumbing). Free, no-obligation quotes are available.

Rotations are also proud to sponsorCanarian Weekly’s “Free Ads” page (see page 50).

And one invention which will surely be of great appeal to dads, at least, is Honda’s Miimo lawnmower – the company’s first commercial robotic product.

Gadget Show inBirmingham.

It is said to be the “ultimate time-saving device” and the perfect solution for those wanting a well-kept lawn without lifting a finger.

Once installed, it needs minimal human interaction while working to ensure a beautifully-cut lawn, every day if necessary, for the length of the mowing season.

Another incredible invention is the £8,000 Jetovator, a flying jetski, which uses pumps to shoot water downwards with enough force to keep the water bike flying above the waves.

The machine allows you to experience the thrill of flying with the ease of riding a bike, climbing to heights of up to 30ft. It can also dive down to 10ft below the water, and move above the surface at speeds of up to 25mph.

Oh, and it even be used to perform stunt-like barrel rolls and back-flips – ideal for our tourists areas over here..

On to more practical machines, and the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon 27in (68.5cm) “table PC” is a touch-screen device which works with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

But it also has a “10-touch” screen which enables several people to use it like a tablet at the same time.

The manufacturer says the Windows device is ideal for multi-player games to go ahead on one device, and it also allows children to use educational apps together at home and for working.

Lenovo also showed a new version of its lightweight Yoga, which can perform as a tablet, but has a full-sized, fold-back keyboard. Both should be on sale this summer.

Also, in keeping with what’s hot on the pop scene, the humanoid NAO robot can be programmed to perform many moves, including PSY’s Gangnam Style.

But it has more serious use and is now, reportedly, the most-widely-used humanoid robot for academic purposes worldwide.

It does a lot of work with higher-education institutions, and the makers are planning to use the robot in primary and secondary schools to enhance such subjects as sciences, engineering and maths.

If gadgets are your thing, then the NEC is well worth a visit this weekend if you’re heading for theUK.

It is time to take a good look at your property and decide what you can do to brighten it up and make it look smarter and fresher.

Often, because we are so used to our surroundings, we tend not to “see” them any more, so try to look at them with a fresh eye, as you would if you were a stranger.

What would be your first impression? Could it be improved, or does it look a bit worn and tired (I know the feeling)?

If you are a believer in spring cleaning, you will be moving everything around anyway, and you can see if your room can be laid out in a different way.

Also, take a look at your curtains and throws, and see if a change is needed. Adding a dash of colour can lift a whole room for little expenditure.

A coat of paint is the cheapest and most effective way of brightening up a room. Remember the theory of colour: dark, intense colours make rooms appear smaller, and light colours make them look bigger.

If you have had your mattresses for several years, perhaps it is time to change it – after all, a good night’s sleep is important for all.

Our best seller is a model which has a sprung centre, and 6cm of visco elastic. This is an ideal combination of firmness at the core, and a soft, upper layer for comfort.

Curtains and sun-curtains are another way of changing your room completely. Sunblock curtains are very important here inTenerife.

They can protect your furniture from fading, and will help to keep the rooms cool and dark.

Technology has changed the type of sun-curtains available. We can still supply the plastic sunblock, which is the cheapest option, although it is now rather more attractive as it comes in white, rather than grey with silver backing.

We also use white material sunblock, and also have sunblock material in more than 20 colours, which means it can be co-ordinated with the rest of the interior, and you no longer need two separate curtains.

Sofa beds are also something relatively rare in theUK, but quite commonplace here.

Obviously, if your property is rented out, this increases the number of people you can accommodate and, therefore, increases your income.

But even for residents, a sofa bed can be useful for guests, and we all know that it is surprising how many friends and family we have once we have moved toTenerife!

Again, technology and design has moved on, and the latest sofa beds do not compromise on comfort as a sofa, and the beds have proper sprung or visco mattresses.

You can’t tell by looking at it that it is a sofa bed, so you can always fib if you don’t want someone to stay.

Respraying your furniture is another possibility, which can make a huge difference to your room, particularly if you change the colour to white or cream.

So take a fresh look at your home and see what you can freshen up for Spring.

But this week, we have received a new contract to revamp a large number of apartments, and also a nice villa to furnish from new.

These are quite different types of projects: with the revamps, we are working with what they already have, re-spraying some furniture and re-upholstering the sofas, as well as hanging new curtains.

But with the new projects, it is lovely to work with a blank canvas, starting from scratch, and deciding on colour schemes and inventory with the owner.

In the photo is the lounge of a villa we have just completed in Callao Salvaje. The house is to be used by the owners themselves, but also rented out occasionally to contribute to the running costs – and the amount he has spent on refurb and furnishings.

So the furniture had to be attractive, but also practical. Common sense dictates that you wouldn’t have white sofas or delicate ornaments in a rental property, but there are these other factors which should influence the choices just as much.

*Curtains, which will block the sun, keeping the rooms cool (and dark, if people are sleeping in the lounge on a sofa bed), but also to prevent the furniture from fading.

*Bedspreads, which are washed easily rather than dry-cleaned.

*Furniture that provides all the inventory needed, and is strong enough to stand up to the rigours of holiday-makers!

To celebrate the fact that the business is going so well at the moment, and also because it was Gilly’s Mum’s birthday, we went out to dinner.

We discovered that the Atlantida restaurant, which used to be on the seafront in Las Galletas, is now based on the corner of the entrance to Costa del Silencio near the Spar supermarket.

So that was then a double celebration because it has been sorely missed – fabulous food and service at very reasonable prices.

And when Gilly informed me that the fruit of the forest gateaux cleans your palate, and that you should eat chocolate because it helps you sleep, my night was complete!

They spend £1bn on doggie snacks and treats

MANY Brits would rather pamper their pets and live a frugal lifestyle themselves rather than the other way round!

New research from Mintel reveals that the sales of dog food have hit £1 billion as the nation’s four-legged lovers lavish their pets with snacks and special “treats”.

But while sales of treats are thriving, the wet and dry dog ​-food industry has been less impressive as consumers switch to home-made alternatives.

Home-made food is now a firm favourite for more than a third ofBritain’s cat and dog owners.

Alex Beckett, Senior Analyst at Mintel Food said: “The same species which love nothing more than to gnaw on a juicy bone now tuck into home-made dishes prepared by concerned owners, who pay close attention to diets for their cats and dogs.

“ThatBritainremains a pet-loving nation is indisputable, and the bar is raised high for the healthiness and level of innovation in pet food.”

He added: “Considering their owners may have been wolfing down high-profile, poor-quality, processed foods recently, you have to wonder whetherBritain’s pampered pets are getting the better treatment all round.”

While consumers continue to feel the pinch and household budgets are tightened, just 17% of Brit pet-owners admit to buying fewer pet treats than a year ago to save money.

And the ladies are a pushover when it comes to treating their four-legged friends – only the best is good enough for their pampered pets.

In fact, 38% of pet owners agree they would rather cut back on their own food before spending less on their pets, and 19% are even concerned that are there aren’t enough gourmet cat and dog foods available.

Also, 51% of owners, far from being concerned about a healthy intake for themselves, actually worry more about whether their cats and dogs are scoffing the right nutrients.

Alex Becket said: “Introducing more sophisticated recipes could support growth for the market value, considering a significant number of cat and dog owners agree there are not enough gourmet foods for them..

“Taking their cue from human food markets, such as using regionally-sourced ingredients, traceability of meats or ethnic-style recipes, could translate into more upmarket appeal regarding wet food for cats and dogs.

Regionally, the Scots and those living in the North are the biggest softies when it comes to pet treats, but owners inLondonput the main accent good health for their moggies and mutts, tending to spend a little more to buy pet food with health benefits.

And dogs are the nation’s favourite pet, with 33% of households having one. Cats come a close second, just 2% behind, with tropical fish and goldfish on 17%, completingBritain’s top-three pet list.

Small mammals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits and mice, are found in 10% of homes, while caged birds live in 5% of them.

Mintel’s research also reveals that theNorth Westis the top region for pet ownership, with 71% of people there accommodating at least one, compared with the 63% national average.

Dog owners peak in the North,North WestandScotland, with (38%) having one, against 29% of households in the South East andEast Anglia.

Meanwhile, 38% of those living in the South West andWalesprove to be the biggest cat lovers, with people up North and inScotlandowning10% fewer.

When it comes to the size of dogs, medium – including Labradors, Spaniels and Staffordshire Bull Terriers, areBritain’s most popular household pets, adding up to 51% of the entire doggie population.

The next most popular are the small dogs (36%), including Jack Russells, Dachshunds and Yorkshire Terriers.

But big is still best with 14% of owners, who favour Alsatians, Old English Sheepdogs and Huskies.

As for the extra-small breeds, such asChihuahuasand Pugs, they total just 5% of allBritain’s dogs.

Believe it or not, toys for pets, purchased by 53% of owners added up to business worth £76 million for traders in the 2011-12 period, despite the desperate economic climate.

And 19% of all owners actually buy Christmas stockings for their pets. but how the fish delve into theirs is a mystery.