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Maximising profits during Q4’s Golden Quarter is a primary focus for many eCommerce brands. This year’s Golden Quarter is more important than ever for many UK retailers, with an estimated £22 billion having been lost during the UK’s three pandemic lockdowns during 2020 and early 2021.
The good news for the home and interiors sector is that UK spending on products like furniture and furnishings have been going from strength to strength since Q3 2020, and a 2021 survey revealed that 85% of residents undertook some kind of home improvement works during at least one of the lockdown periods. In 2020, online spend during Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend rose 52% on home and garden products in the UK, and eCommerce brands will be hoping this trend continues in 2021 and beyond.
For retailers operating in home and interiors, we’ve looked at some of the key online search trends and products that seem likely to be in demand during the pivotal part of 2021 and as consumers look to the new year.
Christmas trees and festive home decorations
Of course, it stands to reason that this time of year is always very big for people buying Christmas trees and other seasonal decorations. With Christmas 2020 celebrations being restricted, many people are looking to make Christmas 2021 extra special.
Google Trends data shows that consumers have been searching online for items like ‘luxury Christmas tree’ and ‘luxury Christmas decorations’ at around double the rate that they were in 2018. With realistic-looking artificial trees reaching prices of up to £2,000, these are an investment for many years to come.
As people welcome family and friends to their homes to join in the festive celebrations, great quality festive décor will help create that extra special environment. Whether that’s a wreath for the front door, a centrepiece for the Christmas day table or a premium Christmas tree, these are products that look likely to be in demand throughout Q4.
Dining furniture
For similar reasons, with Christmas in 2021 expected to be one where families can get together again for food and festive fun, dining room furniture is expected to be popular with shoppers over the next couple of months. Google Trends data shows that searches for ‘extra dining chairs’ and ‘folding dining chairs’ always increase at this time of year and previously peaked in December 2019, but savvy retailers might want to take a punt on Christmas 2021 beating that. Large or extending dining tables would also fit well with this trend, along with all of the peripherals that come with entertaining more people than usual, such as purchasing extra sets of crockery, cutlery and glasses.
Scandi-style interiors for winter
An interior trend that spread far and wide during 2020/21 was Scandi-style, and trends indicate that things are likely to go the same way in the winter months ahead. With clean lines, this minimalist approach is softened by different textures and warm colours. It’s a way to make modern interiors look homely and inviting, creating a cosy look that is perfect for the colder times of the year and can easily be adapted when things warm up in the spring too.
From a soft rug to provide a stylish and comfortable touch to hard flooring, to cosy throws and scatter cushions for the sofa, or introducing some beautiful prints to the walls and oversized lamps for that classic Scandi-style lighting effect. Products for the home that offer the ‘hygge factor’ are likely to sell well during this Golden Quarter.
Designer wallpaper and premium interior paint
Whilst many people have made changes to their home or décor since the start of the pandemic, research indicates that almost half of them regret the ‘improvements’ made during a lockdown. This could mean that there are likely to be plenty of people who want to make a few changes again before the end of 2021, especially if they’re welcoming friends and family into their home for Christmas or New Year celebrations.
Designer wallpaper varies greatly, in not only style but also in price. Consumers could expect to pay anything from £30 to upwards of £2,000 for a roll of designer wallpaper. If customers are looking to revamp a feature wall or create a standout feature in their home in time for the festivities to begin, the cost of several rolls of wallpaper soon adds up.
High-quality premium interior paints are a fairly quick and straightforward way to give a room a makeover, which is one reason why their sales surged during lockdowns. The ability to change the look and feel of a room almost instantly could appeal to those shoppers wanting to refresh their décor before having festive visitors over, or to start the new year with a fresh new look.
Lighting
At a time of year when daylight hours are minimal, the lighting in homes is more important than ever. Consumers are likely to choose this point in the calendar to rethink their light fittings and lamps in living spaces and bedrooms.
Whether it’s a designer floor lamp to add a new feature to a lounge or home office, or a bedside lamp to create a cosier sleep-space, stocking a range of lighting products in different styles, designs and sizes could help you meet what can be significantly increased demand at the start of the winter.
Offering retail credit solutions to increase eCommerce conversions
This time of year tends to be expensive for shoppers as they make preparations for the festive period and the new year ahead. If you’re selling higher-value products, or have a good proportion of customers who usually buy several smaller items in the same order which adds up to a similar amount, you may find that offering consumers a way to spread the cost of their purchase, interest-free, can make a real difference to your site’s conversion rate, average order value and the overall revenue generated by your online store.
The interest-free credit option from DivideBuy can easily be integrated with your website and provides customers with the option to pay for their order over several months without any hidden fees. As specialists in point-of-sale financing, we can help you to seamlessly add our interest-free credit solution to your website to help your customers spread the cost of their purchases. Get in touch with our team to find out more.
