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For retailers, it’s never too hot out to start thinking about the holidays. As the latest Shopify sales data shared exclusively with Retail Brew shows, back-to-school spending is still going strong, but purchases of seasonal decorations and gifts are also surging.
In July, the e-commerce platform saw triple-digit increases in sales of seasonal/holiday decorations (up 177% month over month), holiday ornaments (153%), wrapping paper (114%), and gift tags and labels (104%). And blowing past these other categories were sales of advent calendars, which jumped 4,967% last month.
Indeed, it’s Christmas in July for holiday-focused brands such as Mr. Christmas. The company’s online sales increased 200% in July, according to Shopify, due to promos and campaigns it ran during the month, as well as the launch of its vintage 90th Anniversary collection.
A similarly positioned brand, King of Christmas, told Shopify it generated more sales in July than in Q1 and Q2 combined, and that sales are up 30% year-to-date.
Sol Lakein, COO of King of Christmas, told Retail Brew that several factors are behind the surge. “We've noticed that shoppers are being more proactive, purchasing earlier than usual,” he said. “Additionally, our understanding of early shoppers has allowed us to tailor and present the right deals more effectively.”
Meanwhile, back-to-school spending is still ramping up. Sales of wooden pencils increased 714%. School uniform sales were up 252%, and binder accessory sales were up 151%. In addition, the Paris Olympics appear to have inspired an uptick in the sale of soccer uniforms (153%) and volleyballs (81%).
Bigger picture: Shopify is set to report Q2 earnings this week, providing a higher-level look at how the platform is performing. The e-commerce platform had a strong Q1, raking in $60.9 billion in gross merchandise volume, a 23% year over year increase.