Brits just wanna have lockdown fun as insperience space booms

Brits spent £40.6 billion on dispensable items during the coronavirus lockdown, in an effort to entertain themselves while at home, according to research from Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions.

An increasing number of retailers launched ‘insperience’ products and services designed specifically to be used at home during the months of lockdown.

Takeaway food and drink (24%) was the most popular purchase made throughout this period, followed by summer wardrobe pieces (19%), outdoor plants and flowers (16%), baking ingredients (15%) and spirits (13%). Some of the more bizarre items bought included an inflatable pub, a piece of the moon, a Penny Farthing and an antique diving suit.

Kirsty Morris, Managing Director for Account Development at Barclaycard Payments, says: “Being at home for such an extended period of time meant that Brits became imaginative with how they spent their money. Whether it was to keep themselves or their families entertained, people have emerged from lockdown with an impressive array of quarantine buys.”

“Things that could have been left redundant as lockdown eased, have instead made their way up the ranks to be deemed household must-haves that people didn’t know they needed. Many of the items bought have also encouraged people to take up new hobbies, but perhaps more importantly, were successful in making such an unusual period, that little bit more enjoyable.”