Stranger Things Mania Leads to Holiday Light Shortage at British Chain

Thanks to the popularity of Stranger Things, fans started getting in the holly jolly spirit a little early this year. The sci-fi series made its record-breaking Netflix debut this past July and has spawned countless parties and cosplays in the time since. In addition to likely increasing demand for big glasses and blonde wigs, the show has led to a shortage of holiday lights at one British craft chain. As NME reports, B&Q’s inventory of multicolored LED string lights is already down 90 percent.

One of the most famous scenes from Stranger Things takes place in the third episode. Winona Ryder’s character Joyce builds a makeshift messaging system out of Christmas lights in an attempt to help her missing son contact her from the Upside Down. Fans have found clever ways to recreate the scene in real-life, but now that the holidays have arrived stores have to deal with the unintended consequences.

B&Q’s Christmas market director Mike Norton reported a significant jump in demand for multicolor string lights compared to previous years. Despite being blindsided by the trend, the store apparently has no problem playing along. Norton told NME, “Despite the similarity in the lights, we’d like to remind customers that this product should not be used to try to contact the ‘upside down’. B&Q cannot claim any responsibility for Demogorgon-related damage to homes this Christmas.”

B&Q has yet to completely sell out of the lights, but if you’re planning on purchasing some for non-holiday-related purposes it's probably best to wait until the new year. You can check out some alternative ways to contact the Upside Down in the meantime.