The surprising vintage toys, food and decorations making a comeback this Christmas

Britons are dreaming of a retro Christmas this year with sales of products such as Furbys, coloured tree lights and Monopoly on the rise

Retro toys and games such as Furbys, Scalextric and Monopoly are set for big sales ahead of Christmas.

A new report has found nostalgia will be a big theme for British people’s festive wish lists this year. The research, by Sainsbury's, Habitat and Argos found 34% of Millennial Britons plan to buy younger relatives the toys they enjoyed as a child, such as the 90s favourite the Furby and BeyBlade spinners, both major crazes in the late 1990s.

Scalextric has brought out a number of racing sets ahead of Christmas inspired by popular films, including a My First Scalextric Batwheels Batman V Robin Battery Powered Race Set for £54.99 and the Micro Scalextric James Bond 007 Race Set, £69.99. Meanwhile 25% said they would buy games they enjoyed over Christmas as a child such as Monopoly.

It's not just 90s toys - searches of older tech is on the rise, with record players and flip phones up 22% and 21% respectively and disposable cameras up 15%. Vintage food and decorations are also predicted to be popular this Yuletide. Three in five Millennials will be buying dishes that spark childhood memories, such as trifle and prawn cocktail.

Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “Christmas is also a time for nostalgia and this year, 60% of the nation plan on rediscovering the joy of retro dishes that hark back to the trends and traditions they grew up with. You can expect dishes like terrine, miniature party food and prawn cocktail to make an appearance at the table this year.”

It is the year of the retro dessert cocktail too, with 44% of people finding the idea of nostalgic Christmas themed drinks such as Snowballs and rum liqueurs appealing. The report also revealed 45% are looking to adorn their home with vintage decorations.

Sainsbury’s and Habitat has increased its individual bauble range by +135% and predicts Sainsbury's will sell almost 5 million baubles this year, enough to fill Trafalgar Square in London. Multi coloured Christmas lights, also trendy in the 1990s, are making a comeback as searches increased by +1,003% in 2023 year-on-year.

Britons are getting ready for Christmas already, with Sainsbury’s customers buying decorations as early as last month. Matt Leeser, commercial director, Argos, Habitat and Tu, said: "We know our customers want to make the most of the festive season, with our research showing that 44% of UK adults enjoy the celebrations even more now than when they were younger. Our customers have already started to embrace their Christmas shopping, with visits to our Christmas page on Argos.co.uk already up by +121% compared to the same time last year.”