Amazon reveals most popular products to celebrate 25 years in the UK
Amazon has taken us on a nostalgia trip and unveiled some of the most popular products of all-time to celebrate their 25 years in the UK
From our love affair with toilet rolls and coffee pods to the inimitable appeal of Adele’s music, this unique peek into Britain’s shopping patterns underscores the ever-evolving yet enduring tastes of the nation.
Amazon’s landmark journey began as an online bookseller in 1998, and the company has since expanded its catalogue to cover just about everything – tech, toys, films, music, and much more.
UK Country Manager for Amazon, John Boumphrey, said, “While we have seen trends come and go, the demand for good prices, a vast selection, and swift, convenient delivery remains constant.”
The list of all-time favourites is as varied as it is revealing. In the world of fashion, Crocs stands unparalleled, while ‘Mamma Mia! The Movie’ has us consistently singing along.
Adele has been crowned with four of her albums gracing the top 25, and in the literary world, the magic of the ‘Harry Potter’ series never wanes. Video gamers have shown a consistent penchant for the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise.
Amongst the top 25 products, some might raise eyebrows while others make perfect sense in the grand tapestry of UK consumer behaviour: the ever-essential Andrex Gentle Clean Toilet Rolls, the ‘Fifty Shades’ book trilogy, Earth Rated Dog Poo Bags, and the tech wonder that is the Echo Dot, to name just a few.
This celebration highlights Amazon’s long-standing role in the UK and shows the country’s business and cultural changes over 25 years.
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Top 25 most popular products of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| Andrex Gentle Clean Toilet Rolls |
| Bio-Oil |
| Call of Duty franchise |
| Cards Against Humanity |
| Crocs |
| Dobble |
| Dots for Spots Pimple Patches |
| Duracell Plus AAA Batteries |
| Earth Rated Dog Poo Bags |
| Echo Dot |
| FIFA franchise |
| Fifty Shades books trilogy |
| Fire TV Stick |
| Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Dye |
| Grenade High Protein and Low Carb Bar |
| Harry Potter books series |
| Kindle Devices |
| Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles Box |
| Mamma Mia! The Movie |
| Nizoral Anti-dandruff Shampoo |
| SlimFast 7 Day Kit |
| Tassimo Kenco Colombian Coffee Pods |
| Tepe 0.45 mm Interdent Orange Brushes |
| The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse |
| WaterWipes Baby Wet Wipes |
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Top 25 most popular albums of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| 19 | Adele |
| 21 | Adele |
| 25 | Adele |
| 30 | Adele |
| + | Ed Sheeran |
| A Head Full of Dreams | Coldplay |
| Babel | Mumford and Sons |
| Back To Black | Amy Winehouse |
| Christmas | Michael Bublé |
| Doo-Wops and Hooligans | Bruno Mars |
| Frozen | Frozen |
| I Dreamed a Dream | Susan Boyle |
| If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Elvis |
| In the Lonely Hour | Sam Smith |
| Lungs | Florence & The Machine |
| Mylo Xyloto | Coldplay |
| Now That’s What I Call Music! | NOW! |
| Only by the Night | Kings of Leon |
| Our Version of Events | Emile Sandé |
| Progress | Take That |
| Sigh No More | Mumford and Sons |
| Sunny Side Up | Paolo Nutini |
| The Greatest Showman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | The Greatest Showman |
| Wanted on Voyage | George Ezra |
| x | Ed Sheeran |
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Top 25 most popular books of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| An Inspector Calls | J.B. Priestley |
| Behind Closed Doors | B.A. Paris |
| Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman |
| Fifty Shades of Grey | E.L. James |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | J.K. Rowling |
| Lean in 15 – The Shift Plan: 15 Minute Meals and Workouts to Keep You Lean and Healthy | Joe Wicks |
| Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| Pinch of Nom: 100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes | Kate & Kay Allinson |
| Sapiens | Yuval Noah Harari |
| The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse | Charlie Mackesy |
| The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness: The Acclaimed Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness | Professor Steve Peters |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green |
| The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Stieg Larsson |
| The Great Gatsby | F Scott Fitzgerald |
| The Husband’s Secret | Liane Moriarty |
| The Midnight Library | Matt Haig |
| The Secret | Rhonda Byrne |
| The Tattooist of Auschwitz | Holly Morris |
| The Thursday Murder Club: (The Thursday Murder Club 1) | Richard Osman |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle |
| This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor | Adam Kay |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee |
| Where the Crawdads Sing | Delia Owens |
NB: This is for sales of physical books and e-books combined on Amazon.co.uk
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Top 25 most popular DVDs of all time bought on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| Bridesmaids |
| Cars |
| Despicable Me |
| Despicable Me 2 |
| Frozen |
| Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 |
| Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince |
| How To Train Your Dragon |
| Inside Out |
| Les Misérables |
| Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again |
| Mamma Mia! The Movie |
| Monsters University |
| Paddington |
| Skyfall |
| Tangled |
| The Dark Knight |
| The Greatest Showman |
| The Hangover |
| The Inbetweeners Movie |
| The King’s Speech |
| The Notebook |
| Toy Story 3 |
| Up |
| War Horse |
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Top 25 most popular Video Games of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons |
| Assassin’s Creed franchise |
| Battlefield franchise |
| Call of Duty franchise |
| Crash Bandicoot franchise |
| Destiny |
| Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain |
| Fallout franchise |
| FIFA franchise |
| Grand Theft Auto franchise |
| Just Dance |
| LEGO Collection |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor |
| Minecraft |
| Pokémon franchise |
| Red Dead Redemption franchise |
| Spyro franchise |
| Star Wars: Battlefront |
| Super Mario franchise |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim |
| The Sims franchise |
| The Last of Us franchise |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
| Wii Fit |
| Zumba Fitness |
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Top 25 most popular toys & games of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| 1800 Colourful Loom Bands & 75 Clips! |
| 8 Assorted Colouring Crayons Multicoloured |
| Aquadoodle Peppa Pig Water Doodle Mat |
| Dobble |
| Bananagrams |
| Cards Against Humanity |
| Children’s Toy Tool Carry Case from Peterkin |
| CRAYOLA Washable Paints |
| Exploding Kittens Card Game |
| Hasbro Gaming Cluedo |
| Hasbro Jenga Classic |
| Insect Lore – BH Butterfly Growing Kit |
| LEGO 31058 Creator Mighty Dinosaurs Toy |
| Mattel Games UNO |
| Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad |
| Monopoly Game |
| Natural History Museum N5130 Dinosaur Torch & Projector |
| Orchard Toys Animal Match Mini Game |
| Orchard Toys Match and Spell Board Game |
| Orchard Toys Shopping List Game |
| Rubik’s Cube |
| Scrabble |
| TOMY Screwball |
| Toomies Beat It Egg Musical Baby Sensory Toys |
| Toomies 3 in 1 Fishing Frenzy |
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Top 25 most popular beauty products of all time on Amazon.co.uk (in alphabetical order) |
| Aveeno Skin Relief |
| Bio-oil |
| Bomb Cosmetics Handmade Bath Melt Gift Pack |
| Burt’s Bees 100 Percent Natural All-Weather |
| CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin |
| Clairol Nice’n Easy Crème |
| Clairol Root Touch-Up Permanent Hair Dye |
| Dots for Spots Pimple Patches |
| Eylure DYBROW |
| Faith In Nature Natural Aloe Vera Body Wash |
| Garnier Micellar Hyaluronic Aloe Cleansing Water For Dehydrated Skin |
| Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Dye |
| Garnier Olia Permanent Hair Dye |
| L’Oréal Magic Retouch Instant Root Concealer Spray |
| L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Anti-Fatigue Moisturiser |
| Maybelline Instant Eraser Concealer |
| Maybelline Mascara |
| Mylee 100% Pure Acetone Nail Polish Remover for UV/LED Gel |
| Neutrogena Hydro Boost Supercharged Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Trehalose For Dry Skin |
| Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Treatment for Itchy Scalp and Dandruff |
| NIVEA Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Power Firming Day Cream SPF 15 |
| Nizoral Anti-dandruff Shampoo |
| OLAPLEX Hair Perfector No.3 Repairing Treatment |
| Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish |
| Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder |
1998 Most popular
The nation read: Amsterdam, Ian McEwan
1999 Most popular
The nation read: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: Travis, The Man Who
The nation watched: Erin Brockovich and Buffy The Vampire Slayer – The Movie
The nation played: X-Tension (X Mission Pack)
2000 Most popular
The nation read: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: The Beatles: 1
The nation watched: Gladiator and Chicken Run
The nation played: Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? (PC video game)
2001 Most popular
The nation read: Happy Days with the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver
The nation listened to: Robbie Williams, Swing When You’re Winning
The nation watched: Bridget Jones’s Diary
The nation played: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (PC video game)
2002 Most popular
The nation read: What Not to Wear, Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall
The nation listened to: Robbie Williams, Escapology
The nation watched: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The nation played: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
2003 Most popular
The nation read: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: Dido, Life for Rent
The nation watched: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets
The nation played: FIFA Football 2004 (PS2)
In the nation’s home: George Foreman Family Grill
2004 Most popular
The nation read: You Are What You Eat: The Plan that Will Change Your Life, Gillian McKeith
The nation listened to: Keane, Hopes and Fears
The nation watched: Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) and Calendar Girls
The nation played: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
In the nation’s home: Panasonic Breadmaker
2005 Most popular
The nation read: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: Coldplay, X&Y
The nation watched: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Ladies in Lavender
The nation played: Football Manager 2006 (Mac/PC)
In the nation’s home: Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker
2006 Most popular
The nation read: The Dangerous Book for Boys, Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
The nation listened to: Snow Patrol, Eyes Open
The nation watched: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The nation played: Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain (Nintendo DS)
In the nation’s home: Deal or No Deal game
2007 Most popular
The nation read: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
The nation watched: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The nation played: Nintendo Wii Console (with Wii Sports)
In the nation’s home: One Touch Automatic Can Opener
2008 Most popular
The nation read: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J K Rowling
The nation listened to: Take That, The Circus and Duffy, Rockferry
The nation watched: Mamma Mia!
The nation played: Nintendo Wii Console (with Wii Sports)
In the nation’s home: ghd Hair Straightener
2009 Most popular
The nation read: The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
The nation listened to: Rage Against the Machine, Killing in the Name (MP3) and Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
The nation watched: Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley
The nation played: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In the nation’s home: BT 150 Digital Baby Monitor
2010 Most popular
The nation read: Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, Jamie Oliver
The nation listened to: Take That, Progress
The nation watched: Toy Story 3
The nation played: Call of Duty: Black Ops
In the nation’s home: Brita Maxtra Water Filter Cartridges
2011 Most popular
The nation read: One Day, David Nicholls
The nation listened to: Adele, 21
The nation watched: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
The nation played: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
In the nation’s home: Zumba Fitness DVD Exercise Kit includes toning sticks
2012 Most popular
The nation read: Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James
The nation listened to: Now That’s What I Call Music! 83
The nation watched: Ted
The nation played: Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
In the nation’s home: Kärcher WV 50 Window Cleaning Vacuum
2013 Most popular
The nation read: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Jonas Jonasson
The nation listened to: The Next Day, David Bowie
The nation watched: Despicable Me 2
The nation played: Grand Theft Auto 5
In the nation’s home:Kindle Paperwhite
2014 Most popular
The nation read: The Fault in our Stars, John Green
The nation listened to: Now That’s What I Call Music! 89
The nation watched: Frozen
The nation played: FIFA 15
In the nation’s home: 1800 Colourful Loom Bands
2015 Most popular
The nation read: Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom: a colouring book adventure: 1
The nation listened to: 25, Adele
The nation watched: Inside Out
The nation played: FIFA 16
In the nation’s home: Fire TV Stick | Basic Edition
2016 Most popular
The nation read: Lean in 15 – The Shift Plan: 15 Minute Meals and Workouts to Keep You Lean and Healthy, Joe Wicks
The nation listened to: Now! That’s What I Call Music 95
The nation watched: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The nation played: FIFA 17
In the nation’s home: Amazon Echo Dot
2017 Most popular
The nation read: 5 Ingredients, Jamie Oliver
The nation listened to: ÷, Ed Sheeran
The nation watched: Beauty and The Beast (Live Action)
The nation played: FIFA 18
In the nation’s home:Nintendo Switch
2018 Most popular
The nation read: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman
The nation listened to: The Greatest Showman, (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The nation watched: The Greatest Showman
The nation played: Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
In the nation’s home: Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote | Streaming Media Player
2019 Most popular
The nation read: Pinch of Nom: 100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes, Kate & Kay Allinson
The nation listened to: You’re In My Heart: Rod Stewart with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The nation watched: Bohemian Rhapsody
The nation played: FIFA 20
In the nation’s home: Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Smart Speaker with Alexa
2020 Most popular
The nation read: The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
The nation listened to: Together at Christmas, Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
The nation watched: Frozen 2
The nation played: Animal Crossing New Horizons – Nintendo Switch Standard Edition (Nintendo Switch)
In the nation’s home: Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Smart Speaker with Alexa
2021 Most popular
The nation read: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, Charlie Mackesy
The nation listened to: 30, Adele
The nation watched: No Time To Die (James Bond)
The nation played: Pokémon Scarlet (Nintendo Switch)
In the nation’s home: Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Smart Speaker with Alexa
2022 Most popular
The nation read It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover
The nation listened to:A Family Christmas, Andrea, Matteo & Virginia Bocelli
The nation watched:Downton Abbey: A New Era
The nation played: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet [Twister Parent] (Nintendo Switch)
In the nation’s home: Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote
2023 Most popular (year to date)
The nation is reading: Spare: by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
The nation is listening to: Trustfall, Pink
The nation is watching: Elvis (biopic)
The nation is playing: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch)
In the nation’s home: Echo Dot (5th Gen) – Smart Speaker with Alexa
