‘Coachella Effect’ drives sales of musical equipment in April

Summer shopping got an early start this year, according to new data Shopify provided exclusively to Retail Brew.

The e-commerce platform’s running list of the top 20 category changes, which highlights the products with the biggest month over month sales gains, showed that in April, shoppers stocked up for the warm weather by buying more outdoor, pool, and golf equipment.

Poolside purchases:

• Sales of pool toys were up 231%.
• Pool sweep and vacuum sales grew 151%.
• Outdoor umbrella and sunshade accessories were up 146%.

The great outdoors:

• Push and pedal riding vehicle sales grew 212%.
• Tow-behind mowers were up 185%.
• Insect repellent sales increased 90%.

In the golf category:

• Golf club headcover sales were up 128%.
• Golf ball sales grew 73%.
• Gold club parts and accessories increased 54%.

Less predictably, sales of musical equipment also surged last month—and the trend happened to coincide with the widely streamed Coachella Festival, which took place in the middle of April and featured superstar acts such as Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, and Doja Cat.

Sales of musical keyboard stands spiked 802% in April; keyboard accessories were up 353%; and audio samplers grew 186%.

Jessica Williams, director of brand partnerships at Shopify, told Retail Brew that the uptick stemmed from what she calls the “Coachella effect,” which appears to be expanding beyond one-off sales bumps inspired by whatever headlining artists happen to be wearing.

“When Homage’s ‘New Heights’ hat Taylor Swift wore to Coachella sold out, no one was surprised, but this ripple effect was just the beginning,” she said. “This festival doesn’t just set trends; it inspires a wave of musical creativity across the globe, encouraging fans to not just listen to music, but to create it themselves from wherever they are.”