Taylor Swift Travis Kelce engagement reshapes shopping trends, Visualsoft research finds

Unless you’ve been holidaying on Mars of late, you’ll be aware that Taylor Swift is now engaged to Travis Kelce. And, if truth be told, the news has probably also reached the Red Planet. So, hey ho…

This hasn’t just lit up social media and made Swifties everywhere explode with excitement, it’s reshaping online shopping trends. New analysis from Visualsoft shows a significant uplift in jewellery sales and searches since the announcement, with August delivering a standout performance for the sector.

Jewellery and watch sales were up 22% year-on-year in August, with a month-on-month increase of 23%. This is a sharp contrast to August 2024, when the sector fell by nearly 18% compared to the previous month. In 2025, sales have shown steady momentum across the summer months, with positive growth in June (+15%) and July (+9%) leading up to the August spike.

Search data reveals the Swift effect most clearly. In 2025, searches for rings climbed in August, up 7% month-on-month, while promise rings dropped by 14% compared to July. This shift strongly suggests consumers were influenced by the engagement announcement and began prioritising engagement rings over promise rings, Visualsoft says.

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By contrast, in 2024 promise rings surged in July (+29%) before dropping 14% in August, while searches for rings steadily declined month by month after June. Necklaces fell almost 9% in August, charms dropped 29% in July, and bracelets plunged 44% in July - all demonstrating the usual late-summer slowdown that has been defied in 2025.

Jenna Pollard, Senior analyst at Visualsoft, says: “The data is proof of how powerful cultural moments are in shaping shopping behaviour. We’ve seen jewellery searches and sales accelerate in direct response to the news, particularly around engagement rings.”

“For retailers and marketers, it underlines the value of staying close to cultural trends and being ready to capture consumer attention when it peaks, capitalising on it through your channels. The data shows that these moments don’t just trend on socials – they translate into meaningful sales growth.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.