Mathmos Faces Stock Shortage After Strong Christmas Lava Lamp Sales Fueled by Nostalgia and Designer Collaborations
Mathmos, the British lava lamp manufacturer, has oversold its stock ahead of Christmas and is expected to face shortages in January.
The company's recent sales growth is linked to a resurgence in mid-century interior design trends and a growing interest among Generation Z in late 1990s and early 2000s aesthetics.
Founded in 1963 by inventor Edward Craven Walker, originally under the name Crestworth, Mathmos has maintained a strong emphasis on authentic heritage. Cressida Granger, who took over the company in 1989 after Walker’s era, highlights that lava lamps are nostalgic, calming, analogue, and proudly made in Britain.
Mathmos operates from its factory in Poole, Dorset, where bottles are filled by hand and lamps assembled. The company supports ten international websites with multilingual staff.
The Astro model remains the bestseller, with 1990s Telstar designs and newer models, including candle-lit options, also popular. Limited edition releases, such as a red Rolling Stones-themed lamp, sold out rapidly, with queues reported on Carnaby Street.
Collaborations with designers and artists like Rankin, Duran Duran, and Sabine Marcelis have also seen rapid sell-outs. However, Mathmos faces intellectual property challenges from earlier product copies, such as Target’s imitation of its 'Bubble' design, and has limited resources for legal action against such infringements.
