Our shopping habits have been influence by everything from the great British weather to Love Island. So what were we buying? Feeling all reflective we look back at the top eBay shopping trends 2018 - month by month.
Related: How many of these 2018 design trends did you tick off this year?
Top shopping trends throughout the year
January
At the start of the year we celebrated Lego's 60th anniversary! Despite the milestone the classic building block proved more popular than ever, with one search for 'Lego' every 30 seconds. Harry Potter proved he’s still got magical purchasing power with nearly one Lego Harry Potter related item flying off the virtual shelves every 10 seconds.
February
We sought Russian glamour, taking inspiration from the hit show McMafia when it came to décor. It wasn’t just James Norton that grabbed our attention, as Brits sought to emulate the stylish interiors seen on the show, eBay received nearly two searches for ‘Chesterfield Sofas’ every minute in the first week following the show’s debut.
March
The Beast from the East brought with the snow! This inspired us to transform our homes into sanctuaries. Shoppers were snapping up hot tubs and embracing tropical interiors trends – most likely in a bid to escape the lingering winter. Almost 2,000 ‘palm tree’ items sold during the first two weeks of March.
April
We won't dwell on this one, because it's not homes related! April brought a staggering 25,000 searches for Crocs inspired by designer iterations at Balenciaga and Christopher Kane. Thank you, next.
May
The month of May was all about the royals! In the lead up to the big day Prince Harry was Britain’s number one search term, with his bride-to-be not far behind.
In other royal related news searches for designer Jenny Packham more than doubled when Kate Middleton appeared outside the Lindo Wing in a red Packham smock dress – to introduce Prince Louis to the world.
June
It was the summer of love as we became addicted to Love Island (guilty). With everything from prosecco glasses to the famous water bottles, there were almost 40,000 ‘Love Island’ listings on eBay. This trend brought with it unprecedented sales of outdoor furniture, with eight bean bags and seven sun loungers sold every half hour.
Although we didn't see it much on the show we predict it lead to one hot tub sale every minute on eBay in the week leading up to the new series.
July
Our love for football reached fever pitch. Along with Gareth Southgate's iconic waistcoats we had our eye on the pitch! In a bid to recreate the perfect green lawn in our gardens and gave up grass in favour of artificial turf. With 18 purchases every hour, eBay saw a 16 per cent increase in artificial turf sales compared to last summer.
August
During the long hot summer us Brits went glamping crazy, making the summer of the Staycations. As we basked in the summer heatwave over 3,000 teepees sold in August. To fully embrace the term glamping Brits were opting for comfy airbeds, of which saw arise in sales by more than 167 per cent.
September
There was a tech revolt. A September study of eBay sales over the past year suggests many of us – particularly parents – are increasingly turning our backs on technology. This has brought about a retro revival with surges in sales of vinyl, traditional board games, and jigsaws. With over 77,000 listings available on site, the online marketplace sold over 25,000 jigsaw puzzles in one month – almost 35 every hour!
October
For the first time in eBay's 22-year history this month marked over 1,000 British eBay millionaires. The list of top businesses included home furniture and DIY, car parts, clothes and computers. Proving how much we love our homes.
November
Twas' the month before Christmas and we were feeling charitable. The online marketplace saw an increase in sales by charities, as part of its eBay for Charity program. British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Sue Ryder hospice saw an 18 per cent YoY increase in sales.
December
The 28th December is said to the best day to declutter our homes following the festive period. A quarter of Brits admitting that they have up to 50 unused items stored away, up to the estimated value of £483. As ‘Boxing Up’ day returned, a predicted 74 million items will be listed for re-sale on eBay.
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