Springing ahead with Shopify e-Commerce Platform

Springing ahead… 💐

Today is the first day of spring 😎

Normally, this is the time of year when you’d expect shoppers to tepidly begin looking for hot-weather apparel, start stocking-up on travel supplies, or wrestling with the urge to update their backyard barbecue setup⁠—all in preparation for the upcoming summer.

Normally. But there is a slight difference this year⁠—we’re playing catch-up.

Last year’s spring was unlike any other. Simple purchases came with added complications, and alongside fluctuating travel restrictions, just didn’t seem worth the effort.

But this week’s trends make it clear that last year was an anomaly.

Each product featured this week had experienced years of growth prior to 2020 and each of them looked to be consigned to the dustbin of history by the end of the summer.

But looks can be deceiving.

These trends never stopped growing, they were just put on hold for a bit. With spring underway, interest is rising again, and after a year of disruption, it’s rising faster than ever before.

Are we in for the biggest spring shopping season in years? It’s starting to look that way…

Here’s what’s trending:

Sandals

Sandals are a staple of summer footwear, but last year, with fewer beach parties and summer gatherings, their popularity hit a low point. Sales and searches were the lowest they’d been in years, with its highest point lower than the year previous for the first time in a decade.

via Google Trends

This year, numbers look to be bouncing back. Month-to-month searches are unsurprisingly higher than in 2020, but they’re also higher than in 2019, meaning last year’s low was likely an outlier. With its biggest months still ahead, sandals are set to see huge sales this year.

💡Marketing tip: Related searches like “orthopedic sandals”, “flat sandals”, and “off-white sandals” are also trending. Additional keyword research would likely reveal even more insights about what styles are in high demand, and help to guide your product curation.

Electric bicycle

Electric bicycles work just like their analog counterpart, the only difference being a rechargeable, battery-operated motor that’s ready to take over pedaling whenever the rider’s legs get tired. E-bikes have a ton of accompanying gear and maintenance products, making them a great launching point for a brand.

via Google Trends

E-bikes have grown in popularity over the years, posting their biggest sales last Summer. Since then, search interest hasn’t abated. Numbers are currently higher than they’ve ever been in March, and with its busiest months ahead, 2021 is set to be a stand-out year for e-bike sales.

💡Marketing tip: New e-bike enthusiasts will need a lot of equipment, providing an opportunity to boost the value of your transactions. Try upselling or cross-selling similar products, and retargetting customers who might still be in the market for new equipment.

Pressure washer

Pressure washers are outdoor cleaning tools that use a motorized compression system to blast high-powered streams of water. They’re especially good at removing loose paint, rust, and hardened mud from surfaces like wood and concrete.

via Google Trends

Search interest in pressure washers typically peaks in late May, with a higher and higher peak each year for the last five years. This March, search interest is nearly twice as high as in March 2020, meaning this year’s peak looks on track to be its biggest yet.

💡Marketing tip: Pressure-washing has inspired mountains of online content⁠—there’s even a whole subreddit dedicated to pressure-washing videos. Active participation in these communities is a great way to find audiences that are likely to have a higher interest in your product.

Magnetic lashes

Artificial eyelashes are traditionally applied with glue, but this can be messy and doesn’t always result in the best placement. Magnetic lashes have two layers that attract each other and “sandwich” the user’s real lashes in place for cleaner, more precise placement.

via Google Trends

Search interest in magnetic lashes has been growing since June of 2019. This year, early March numbers are higher than they’ve ever been. Given that the product typically peaks in April and sustains interest throughout the summer, we expect even bigger numbers in 2021.

💡Marketing tip: Makeup tutorials are one of the most popular genres of video content on social media. Partnering with influencers from Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube could be a great way to promote your product and build awareness of your brand.