Shopify’s November trends lead to the kitchen

Shopify shoppers got serious about those Thanksgiving dinners and spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking up a storm this November, according to data shared first with Retail Brew.

Orders for food steamers, roasting pans, and sauté pans spiked 385%, 256%, 237%, respectively, according to Shopify. Consumers also shelled out to buy cooking thermometers (up 180%), carving forks (178%), and saucepans (142%).

People also stocked up on sweet essentials. Orders for marshmallows soared 123%, while cookie decorating kits were up 118%. Demand for pie crusts (up 63%), cookie and brownie dough (61%), hot chocolate mixes (20%), and cocoa powder (17%) also went up in the early days of the holiday season.

Overall, Shopify reported global sales of $14.6 billion through the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend. Consumers spent on vanity essentials like cosmetics, clothing staples like tops and pants, activewear, fitness, and nutrition items, in that order.

Family time: Demand for classic toys peaked on Shopify stores in November. Dollhouse orders spiked 177%. There was a massive increase in orders for simple, timeless wooden blocks (up 123%). Even musical boxes were in demand (up 111%). Yo-yos saw demand soar 93%, while play dough sets (up 76%), and race car and track sets (51%) were up.

People also bought cozy sleepwear for the winter months before the snow started falling in earnest. Orders for head-to-toe onesies were up 136%. Robes and pajama orders rose 110% and 79%, respectively. Plus, orders for nightgowns (up 41%) and loungewear bottoms (35%) also increased.