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Maplin has revealed its top ten predicted tech sellers for Christmas 2015, indicating a huge demand for retro tech, which the retailer says is down to anticipation for the new Star Wars film.
Ben Winter, buying director for Maplin Electronics, said: “The retro trend in tech is in many ways down to the ‘Star Wars effect’, as anticipation for the new film is putting the ’80s back in the cultural zeitgeist, leading parents to connect with our past in ways that are both nostalgic and interactive.
“The youngsters of the eighties are now parents and can re-live their childhood with their little ones, meaning a Spectrum ZX is going to be a more emotional purchase than a modern video game system,” he adds.
Last year, Maplin really pushed drones throughout the Christmas period and managed to sell more than 17,000 in a single year (you can read more about how drones could potentially get consumers in trouble with the law here).
Retailers are now seeing an increase in interest in drones, which looks set to continue with the likes of the first UK Drone Show in December and more Drone Racing events popping up.
In fact, the product range has been so popular that Maplin has now launched its very own Drone Academy to train its staff to become experts in flying the gadgets. "We believe that Maplineers should be experts in their field, so we’ve literally taken them out of the store and onto the field,” said Maplin’s brand communications director Henry Swift.
But while last year was all about futuristic tech, it seems ’80s stalwarts such as Meccano and Pac-Man will be dominating the stocking-filler aisles in the lead up to this year’s festive season.
Seeing as Maplin seemed to get it so right with last year’s drones, it’s worth checking out the retailer’s top ten predicted sellers for Christmas below and consider stocking some yourself if you’re not already doing so.
Maplin’s top ten Christmas 2015 predictions:
1. ZX Spectrum
2. Meccanoid G15 KS from Meccano
3. Meccano G15 from Meccano
4. Real FX Racing Car
5. ION Classic LP Player
6. GPO Empire Retro Turntable
7. Pac-Man Ghost Lamp
8. ION Max LP Turntable with speakers
9. Tetras Light
10. Stylophone
