While Christmas gifting and seasonal sales are a significant focus for retailers in the transition from December to January, there is also huge potential for brands to target shoppers who are turning their attention to resolution shopping before the leftover turkey has been finished.
For example, two pairs of trainers were sold per minute on eBay UK last Boxing Day. Consumer focus on getting fit was evident in the following week; searches for running shoes increased by 150% in the week commencing 29 December 2013. Searches for sports bras doubled during the same period.
Healthy diets were also front of mind for shoppers in the post-Christmas period. Driven by wellbeing trends such as juice diets, searches for juicers increased by 75% in the week following Christmas last year, highlighting the opportunity for brands to target shoppers with “new year, new you” messages while the festive period is in full swing.
Our insight also reveals that consumers often begin to focus on undoing the damage of their festive excess before Christmas Day even arrives. Searches for facial masks on eBay UK were five times higher in the week commencing 22 December 2013 than the previous week; This demonstrates the potential for nimble brands to tap in to sudden switches in shopping priorities.
Travel planning
Once the Christmas gifting season is over, consumers focus on their next big milestone: holidays. Searches for bikinis shot up by 200% between December 2013 and January 2014, while searches for beach towels and flip-flops rose by 140% and 90% respectively during the same period. Travel and retail brands in particular should look out for opportunities to target shoppers booking or embarking on long-haul trips during this time.
The days after Christmas shouldn’t be considered downtime for brands. Those who are agile and able to harness the power of online to align with consumer sentiment stand to make considerable gains and increase share of wallet.
Phuong Nguyen is director of eBay Advertising in the UK
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