Consumer spendings rise during Christmas. The stats gathered in this post clearly show that. You can use the customer interest and boost sales. We collected some information on what product categories people focus their buying on during this winter holiday.
Key Takeaways
- Walmart was the leader in Christmas online sales the previous year.
- The Christmas best selling online products should be giftable, unique and personalized.
- The top of bestsellers includes Christmas themed things: Christmas lights and outdoor decorations, artificial Christmas trees, Christmas stockings and tree skirts, clothing and accessories, Christmas home decor, advent calendars, gift baskets and hampers, kitchenware and tableware
- More than half of U.S. consumers plan to buy gift cards or gift certificate. This type of product can be offered as last-minute gifts.
Why Christmas Sales is so important
The impact of Christmas is substantial, as it is a time when goods suppliers globally experience a surge in sales. People actively purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate the feast, resulting in a significant increase in sales volume.
Here are some more reasons of Christmas sales importance:
- Revenue boost: Christmas is a peak shopping period, and businesses rely on the increased sales during this time to boost their revenue. The high season accounts for a significant portion of annual sales for many retailers.
- Profitability: With increased sales, businesses have the opportunity to generate higher profits. Christmas often brings in customers who are willing to spend more on gifts, decorations, and other festive items.
- Inventory management: Christmas sales help businesses manage their inventory effectively. By offering discounts and promotions, retailers can sell off excess inventory and make room for new products in the upcoming year.
- Customer acquisition and retention: Christmas sales provide an opportunity for businesses to attract new customers. Offering attractive deals and promotions can entice customers to try out a new brand or product, potentially leading to long-term customer loyalty.
- Competition: During the high season, businesses face intense competition from other retailers. Offering sales and promotions helps businesses stay competitive and attract customers away from their competitors.
- Tradition and consumer behavior: Christmas has become synonymous with shopping and gift-giving. Many people look forward to the holiday sales and plan their purchases accordingly. Businesses that participate in Christmas sales tap into this consumer behavior and tradition, increasing their chances of success.
What are the characteristics of best-selling Christmas items?
Not all shopping categories and items will gain the same traction during Christmas. Different products have different characteristics, defining whether they outperform other segments or not.
Below are some features that make a product ideal for selling on the web during Christmas and New Year Eve.
Giftable
As Christmas is all about giving gifts, a winning Christmas item is often giftable. Some examples of giftable items are jewelry, candles, games, toys, bath bombs, and books.
If you run a store or a marketplace with a wide variety of products, consider adding an option to buy digital gift cards.
In 2023, roughly 50% of U.S. consumers plan to buy gift cards or gift certificates. After Christmas and New Year’s Eve, retail sales usually peak again in January as many people redeem their received Christmas gift cards and vouchers. It is a popular gifting option as it can be in electronic format, which is very convenient due to social distancing recommendation
Gift Finder on Walmart that allows finding a personalized gift
Unique
Unusual items have the potential to receive a lot of sales during Christmas. People don’t like giving standard gifts. They would rather purchase something genuine, special to gift someone!
Amazon unique items on the Holiday Shop
Personalized
Products can be personalized in multiple ways: adding custom texts, photos, or colors to the product.
Personalized products on Amazon
Top 15 Christmas Items to Sell Online in 2023
Let’s consider the most selling products on Christmas items that have traditionally been in demand during the high winter season. These items have consistently performed well on the web and are likely to continue to be among the most sold items during Christmas 2023-2024:
- Christmas ornaments and decorations
- Christmas lights and outdoor decorations
- Artificial Christmas trees
- Christmas stockings and tree skirts
- Clothing and accessories
- Christmas home decor
- Advent calendars
- Christmas gift baskets and hampers
- Personalized Christmas gifts
- Kitchenware and tableware
- Christmas jewelry and accessories
- Christmas cards and stationery
- Christmas pet accessories
- Candles and scents
- Toys and games
Top 5 Cool Gifts for Christmas on Walmart
As Walmart has shown itself as the sales leader for the previous year, it is rational to borrow some ideas on most sold items in Christmas from it.
Apple AirPods Pro
They are a top-selling product-2023. These wireless earbuds from Apple offer a superior audio experience with active noise cancellation and a comfortable, customizable fit. They are compatible with various Apple devices and provide a seamless listening experience.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a popular gaming console that offers both handheld and TV modes. It’s perfect for gamers of all ages and comes with a wide range of games to choose from.
Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is a versatile and convenient kitchen appliance that can pressure-cook, slow cook, sauté, and more. It’s a great gift for anyone who loves cooking or wants to save time in the kitchen.
Fitbit Versa 4
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a smartwatch that tracks your fitness activities, heart rate, sleep quality, and more. It also offers built-in GPS and music storage, making it an excellent gift for fitness enthusiasts.
LEGO Star Wars
This LEGO set is perfect for Star Wars fans and LEGO enthusiasts alike. It allows you to build the iconic Millennium Falcon spaceship and comes with mini-figures of popular Star Wars characters.
Top 5 Cool Christmas Gifts on Amazon
Amazon is one more leader of Xmas sales. So, we decided to study what are the bestsellers available here. While the specific Christmas sales items may vary depending on the year and current trends, here is a list of Christmas things that have been well-received in recent years.
Smart home devices
Products like Amazon Echo Dot, Google Nest Mini, or smart plugs that allow users to control their home appliances with voice commands.
Instant Pot
Top item again. A multi-functional pressure cooker that has gained immense popularity for its convenience and ability to cook a variety of dishes quickly.
Wireless earbuds
Popular options include Apple AirPods, Samsung Galaxy Buds, or Jabra Elite 75t, providing a wire-free and immersive listening experience.
Indoor plants
Adding a touch of greenery to homes has become a trend, and Amazon offers a wide range of indoor plants, such as succulents, air plants, or bonsai trees.
Personalized gift
Customized items like engraved jewelry, monogrammed towels, or personalized photo albums that add a personal touch to the gift.
These gifts offer a mix of technology, entertainment, and practicality, making them great options for Christmas products.
Bonus - Last-Minute Christmas Gifts from Amazon
Last minute Christmas gifts refer to gift items that can be purchased and delivered quickly, even close to the Christmas deadline. These gifts are often available for expedited shipping or can be sent electronically as e-gift cards.
You can consider the following Christmas gift ideas seen on Amazon to decide on what to sell as a last-minute offer in your store:
- Amazon’s Last-Minute Deals: A dedicated page that features various discounted products that can be delivered quickly.
- Amazon Gift Cards: These can be sent electronically via email or printed at home, making them an excellent last-minute option.
- Amazon Prime Membership: A gift of Amazon Prime allows the recipient to access free two-day shipping, streaming services, and more. It can be gifted instantly via email.
- Digital Subscriptions: Gifting digital subscriptions to popular services like Amazon Music, Kindle Unlimited, or Audible.
If you sell electronic products or subscription services, consider making them available as a last-minute Xmas gift.
Read more:
How to find your perfect gift offer for Christmas? A Hint From Our Team
You can try to make your own research by using these two shops as your gift guide on what to sell in your store. Just enter Christmas in the search bar and see the results.
Both marketplaces have their Holiday Shops, dedicated pages with gift ideas. Surf on the page for your inspiration.
Christmas eCommerce statistics
Christmas serves as a significant economic boost for nations worldwide, as evidenced by the record-breaking retail sales of $942 billion in 2022. Here we’ll focus on the United States, as they are an undoubtable leader of Christmas marketing efforts. The shopping rush starts here as early as October. According to open data available on the web:
- Walmart, renowned for its affordable prices and extensive product range, stands as the leading retailer in the United States.
- Other prominent U.S. retailers include Amazon, Kroger Co., Costco, and Target.
- From 2000 to 2022, Xmas retail sales in the United States consistently demonstrated year-over-year growth.
- In 2022, there was a 6% increase in Xmas retail sales compared to the previous year, with a projected growth range of 6 to 8 %.
- As of 2022, Xmas retail sales in the United States amounted to $942.6 billion USD.
- Approximately 22% of consumers plan to spend more than they did last year during the festive period.
- Approximately 67% of users show a preference for online shopping, while 66% of shoppers prefer brick and mortar stores. Evidently, the disparity between the two is quite negligible.
The average expenditure on Christmas gifts by the average American has witnessed a growth of 12.8% from 2006 to 2022.
Source: Zippia
Marketing tips to win the Christmas Sale!
- Arrange Your Budget Wisely: The period between December 15th and December 24th will account for 40% of all Christmas sales. Assign a large part of your marketing budget to your Christmas items, to be spent between December 15th and December 24th.
- Devote special attention to crafting marketing emails. A significant 68% of shoppers have expressed their heightened focus on emails containing offers during this period. Hence, it is crucial to develop a foolproof email marketing campaign.
- Add Discounts: To maximize sales during the Christmas season, it is essential to implement price discounts and provide free shipping for your web store. Additionally, offering exclusive discounts and promotions to early shoppers will incentivize them to make their purchases ahead of the holiday rush. By presenting attractive offers, you can effectively capture consumer attention and encourage early buying.
Xmas shoppers have a tendency to begin their shopping earlier, and retailers who refrain from offering early discounts during the first two weeks of November typically experience a 5% decrease in sales. The chart above illustrates that discount claims were highest in October across all product segments, gradually declining towards the end of December.
- Engage in Influencer Collaborations. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, nearly 70% of marketers anticipate an increase in influencer marketing budgets in 2023, highlighting the rising significance of partnering with influencers.
Here are a few trends for Christmas 2023 to consider for maximizing your marketing efforts
- Offer Expedited Deliveries: According to the National Retail Federation, 48% of consumers expect retailers to provide same-day delivery choices during the high season.
- Prioritize Sustainability: Ecommerce companies that incorporate sustainable packaging and delivery alternatives have observed a 30% increase in customer loyalty, as per Deloitte.
- Implement Advanced Logistics Technologies: To streamline delivery routes during peak Xmas periods, over 60% of major retailers have invested in AI-driven logistics solutions, as reported by PwC.
- Provide Convenient Solutions: During the festive period, retailers that offer convenient options such as curbside pickup and lockers are preferred by 70% of shoppers, according to the NRF.
Source: Adobe Holiday Shopping report
- Integrate Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options: The utilization of BNPL among U.S. shoppers during Cyber Week last year witnessed a growth of up to 5% compared to the previous year, highlighting its popularity among consumers. By incorporating BNPL services into your eCommerce platform, you can enhance customer satisfaction and increase order conversions.
- Prepare your server for traffic spikes. According to a study by Adobe Analytics, online sales on Cyber Monday in 2020 reached a record-breaking $10.8 billion in the United States alone. It is essential for businesses to prepare their servers to handle such high traffic volumes to avoid downtime and provide a seamless user experience. Make ready your website for traffic spikes by optimizing performance, load testing, scaling infrastructure, implementing caching mechanisms, utilizing CDNs, optimizing database performance, monitoring server health, planning for disaster recovery, staying updated with security patches, and having a support plan in place.
The last thing to mention is that eCommerce spending this year will likely be higher. More people will purchase Christmas gifts electronically instead of going to shopping malls. So, it’s great for eCommerce business, r don’t miss this chance to make your digital commerce better!
Read more articles about product and categories to sell:
Conclusion
Get ahead of the competition with Simtech Development as the high season 2023–2024 approaches! It is essential for businesses to anticipate customer needs and offer products that embody the festive spirit. By leveraging Simtech Development’s tailored solutions and with your curated selection of top Xmas gifts, your business can flourish during this enchanting and celebratory time of year.
