Australian consumers are picking up their favourite summer pastimes at an increased rate, with Shopify data showing a 73% month-on-month increase in cricket ball purchases, closely followed by cricket helmets (up 64%) and cricket pads (up 53%).
While cricket gear may have experienced one of the highest jumps in September, Australians haven’t forgotten about other summer sports, with baseball bats (49%) and baseball & softball gloves (30%)both climbing.
Australians are also gearing up for fun in the sun withoutdoor activities and play equipmentamong the highest trending categories. Water parks & slides (112%), towable rafts & tubes (55%), wakeboarding (43%)andpool floats (34%) all saw considerable uptakes.
With sun safety in mind, consumers are stocking up on sunscreenwith salesup 193%, while tanning oil and lotionslipped by27%. Demand for other sun-protective gear rose, with sunshadesup 17%and rashies & swim shirtsup by 5%.
Consumers are also preparing their households by undertaking pre-warm weather maintenance. Pool & spa chlorine generators and filters both trended upwards, 57% and 49% respectively in September, while lawn mower accessories (18%) and fertilisers (18%) increased and pool cleaners also jumped by 15%.
Personal care was another of September’s highest trending categories, and its men leading the way with shaving kits seeing a 313% jump last month. Fresh faces are in, in September as the girls lay the groundwork for glowy-summer skin, with cosmetic sets (21%) and highlighters and luminizers (18%) both up.
On a surface level, shopping trends may simply reflect what’s popular and what’s not. However, for retailers, analysing these trends provides deeper insights into what makes a consumer tick, according to Shopify managing director for APAC, Shaun Broughton.
“Instead of relying on trial and error, tech-enabled insights help merchants assess the market and harness first-party product data to inform their forecasts and capitalise on trends. Staying one step ahead of the consumer and remaining as agile as possible is crucial during key times of the year when demand peaks,” he said.