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The items a happy couple are most likely to put on their wedding gift list can be predicted by their surname, John Lewis has discovered.
In the unlikely piece of research the retailer studied thousands of its engaged couples’ lists, which revealed that those with the same names tend to have gift preferences in common.
The study concentrated on the 10 names most registered with its service, and the 15 most listed products. The commonest name is Smith, whose lists feature knife sets particularly strongly – no fewer than four appear among Smiths’ most popular products. Topping the list though is a set of two Just Slate placemats.
The party-loving Joneses have three types of boxed glasses on their lists – wine, flute and beer – along with a glass jug and slate coasters, but what they most want is a box of six steak knives.
Browns, too, are mostly after that set of steak knives, but they are also noticeably into cooking, choosing three Le Creuset products – a grill pan, a cooling rack and a colander.
People called Thompson clearly also enjoy cooking, with a muffin tin topping their list, which also includes a George Foreman grill, a Jamie Oliver balloon whisk and a John Lewis blender/chopper. Other popular choices are goose down and feather pillows.
The research found that couples called Davies are noticeably bucking the trend towards bright colours, with almost half their top 15 products being Portmeirion’s Sophie Conran white china. Their most-wanted item, though is a Le Creuset granite rectangular dish.
The lists of Thomas couples feature an even balance of products for all around the home, although topping the list is a set of glass flutes.
Evanses, too, ask for plenty of non-kitchenware items such as a floor lamp and candelabra, although most wanted are those steak knives again.
Linen and kitchenware mix on Taylors’ lists, with a cheese and butter knife set being the most requested. By contrast, couples called Williams select no fewer than five pieces of Sophie Conran tableware, with her 28cm white plate topping the list, and the coordination theme carried through to three Just Slate items.
Finally, amongst the 15 top items on Wilsons’ lists are two laundry bins, although top choice is a set of slate coasters.
“It’s really interesting to see how much your surname reveals about your specific tastes,” commented a John Lewis spokesperson.
“Tableware is consistently a popular choice, but we’re also seeing a resurgence in bakeware, suggesting that newly-weds are keen to revert to the 1950s trend of home cooking and baking.”
