What Britain Buys

What Britain Bought in 2016 offers an insightful look back at the rollercoaster year we've just had and examines how national events have shaped the UK's ú7 billion a week shopping habit. To find out where and how our hard-earned cash has been spent, Mary Portas catches up with some of the nation's leading retailers, including John Lewis, Maplin, Waterstones, ASOS, Superdrug, Hobbycraft and Waitrose. Mary meets buyers, forecasters and influencers who cast their eyes back over the 'I can't believe we bought that', the 'I still need to get one of those' and the 'I couldn't live without mine' moments of the year. Along the way, Mary gets the inside view on some of the year's most surprising trends that left even the most seasoned retailers scratching their heads. So if you haven't eaten a cake shaped like a Corgi, fixed your brows, contoured your face, drunk birch water, posed with a frozÚ, bought a tent, or poked around for a Pikachu, then where have you been?

Mary Portas conducts a new survey into Britain's spending habits, setting out to determine whether the national events of the past year have altered the way people in the UK part with their cash. Estimates suggest the UK spends £7.5billion a week, and Mary catches up with representatives from Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Superdrug, Poundland, Hobbycraft and Lakeland to find out how these retailers have fared. Mary also looks back at some of the retail stories of the year, such as the return of big knickers, the unicorn trend, and the popularity of Prosecco and the fidget spinner.