Techies unite

A survey conducted by the online shopping portals, Wantitall and Jump, last year, concluded that there is a very healthy interest in the latest gadgets on the internet such as phones and iPods as well as entertainments products such as games and movies. LCD televisions have taken the UK by storm with the number of people shopping on the internet for these products steadily rising from 2004 and peaking during Christmas time. People also tend to favour the new over the old. The number of people shopping on the internet for DVDs has declined while Blue-Ray has become the catch phrase of the last 2 years.

Cars versus car products

According to statistics on Google Trends, people are searching far less for auto dealers or cars online; instead their internet shopping activities have focused more on appliance and computer-related goods. Interesting, considering the downturn in internet shopping for cars, interest in car GPS and some car audio products has skyrocketed in recent years. According to Google Trends, the number of people shopping on the internet for the top car GPS product, Garmin, has more than doubled in five years (from 2004 to 2009).

Name brands and money saving still sell

People favour the big names, such as Sony, Tom-Tom, Nokia and Apple for their internet shopping activities, as these brand names inspire people with confidence.

Google Insights also shows that people shop for products on internet sites that can save them both money and time. While searches for laptops have declined globally, interest in iPhones and netbooks has seen significant growth.

If your internet shopping service is concerned with making more sales this year, consult a Google marketing service to help you increase your traffic and goal conversions so that you can make the sales you need for continued success.

Browse UK products online at A good deal.

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Aside from all of this, the weather and new season trends are wonderful conversation topics for lifts and lift clubs; they change all the time so we can talk about them constantly and at the same time we feel we’re doing our bit for Britain.

The weather and seasons also have an effect on consumers, although on a more subconscious level, and marketers are well aware of this. Marketing according to seasonal trends takes every holiday season and change in weather and exploits it within an inch of  its life and we fall for it because, let’s face it, in winter there is nothing as beautiful and perfect as a cashmere coat or a large mug of hot chocolate. When it rains, we love our customised wellies and Mary Poppins umbrellas and the heat means floaty summer dresses and cotton shirts. In fact, fashion takes its main cue from seasons and trends.

This predictability in behaviour is reflected on the internet too which shows us, via Google Trends, how seasonal events, such as heat waves and the recession are directly affecting us and our consumer behaviour.

Seasonal Trends in portable air conditioners, UK

The heat waves of 2006 and 2009 are clearly reflected in Google trends where searches on portable air conditioners went through the roof during the hottest summer seasons in a decade. However, searches on portable air conditioners were dramatically lower during the cooler summers of 2007 and 2008.

Seasonal Trends in portable heaters, UK
Similarly, in portable heaters, the largest spike for searches was at the end of 2005, which was reported to one of the coldest winters in years. During other years, searches followed a steady pattern; starting to rise in September and peaking during the mid-winter months of November and December.

Effect of recession on holiday property, UK

It’s no secret that people have less money to play with these days, and this is reflected in the seasonal trend for holiday property searches in the UK. In 2009, searches for holiday properties were less than half of what they were before the recession, in 2004.

Effect of recession on the best restaurants, UK

Interestingly, the same does not apply to spending money at the best restaurants. Searches for the best restaurants have remained steady in the last five years, which illustrates what economists have been telling us: while people can no longer afford mortgages and expensive cars, they are still not cutting back on smaller luxuries such as eating out and splurging on clothes. In other words, comfort spending is well on the increase.

While these seasonal trends show us that people cling to predictability like barnacles to rocks, they also show us that we may start following more unpredictable patterns, like spending more on expensive dinners when our disposable incomes are falling dismally. However, the weather is something no-one is immune to and the seasonal trends of air conditioner units and heater sales is largely dependent on forces of nature.

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