Retailers get ready for December detox, eBay

Brands and sellers should prepare for the ‘December detox’ that’s set to sweep the UK this weekend, as Brits make an early switch from celebrating to self-improvement – with men leading the charge.

eBay recorded the month’s largest number of searches for ‘party’ (24 per minute) and ‘Christmas jumper’ (83 per minute) on 4th December last year. But then 11th December marked the beginning of a health and fitness frenzy, with searches for ‘dumbbell’ rising by 26% and ‘treadmill’ by 20% overnight. On the same day, ‘protein’ and ‘spiraliser’ both rose by 24%. Meanwhile, men kitted out their kitchens by making 38% more searches for ‘juicer’ and 16% more for ‘nutribullet’ than women throughout December on ebay.co.uk. Men also made a third more searches for ‘spa’ than women last December – also looking for ‘face mask’ every minute and ‘massage’ every three minutes that month.

Lorna Dunne, Head of UK Trading – Lifestyle and Health at eBay, comments: “The January detox has long been recognised as an excellent opportunity for brands to engage with health-conscious shoppers looking to make amends after a frivolous festive season. But, with the early Christmas party peak prompting many shoppers to swap wine for weights this December, our data suggests that this window of opportunity begins earlier than many assume. Sellers are advised to ensure they have the right inventory in stock – both health- and Christmas-related - long before the traditional peaks in interest. Meanwhile brands should bake consumer insights into their campaign strategies to ensure they’re reaching the right people, with the right messages, at the right time.”