After an 8-year hiatus, I have rejoined the Roland DGA team to serve as VersaUV Product Manager. I am blown away by all the product changes and advancements that have taken place since I last worked here, especially within the UV printer line. Since my return, I have been spending a lot of time getting familiar with these products, mostly by printing a lot of stuff on our LEF2 printers.
I decided that instead of strictly making boring samples that will end up being tossed, I might as well make a few tailor-made gifts for the upcoming holidays using an LEF2 and the new Graphic Transfer System (GTS) - items that that highlight the impressive capabilities of these state-of-the-art flatbeds.
Frankly, I'm usually not one of those “pre-meditated” holiday shoppers that buys their gifts before 4th of July. The main reason for this is I'm not confident I will remember where I hid them three months later. Regardless, I decided to chance it anyway.
All of this got me thinking…when and how does “Joe Consumer” shop for the holidays these days? Do people start early or late? Did we already miss out? Do they do most of their shopping online or in retail stores? Is the market different post pandemic? I Googled the topic and found an article entitled: 2023 Holiday Shopping Predictions To “Sleigh” The Season (Medellia.com) that answered my various questions. So, without further ado, here are 5 Holiday Trends that will help our end users make the most of the season:
- 2023 holiday shoppers will spend about as much as they did in 2022, but on fewer gifts. Dollars spent are actually up 1%, but the number of items to be purchased is down 4%. Here are the details:
- Consumers will focus on buying gifts for their immediate family and spend less on others this year. Shopping for the spouse and kids are both up 5% over last year, while the rest of us are in decline:
- The peak of holiday shopping will begin in early November and taper off in mid-December.
- It's an Etsy Holiday! Online shopping will be a top channel for holiday spend in 2023. The majority of consumers say they plan to do at least 40% of their shopping online. Roland DG end users marketing online could have a great 4th quarter!
- Here's a list of the most popular categories for the season:
The good news is, there's still plenty of time for end users to get their LEF Series flatbeds warmed up to make and sell those unique gifts! Make sure they include online marketing as part of their holiday plans - it's an easy way to capture those last-minute shoppers.
Here's wishing you a happy, healthy, and profitable holiday season.
