The Christmas season is almost here — can’t you almost smell the gingerbread (trend number six on our list)? As you’ve been busy stocking your shop, gathering packaging supplies, and readying yourself for the busy weeks ahead, we’ve been preparing, too. Read on to learn about Christmas trends for 2017 Etsy’s Christmas Gift Guide, and key shopping dates to keep in mind throughout the season.
Etsy Christmas Gift Guide
In addition to promoting seasonal gifts by recipient, category, price, and new trends, this year we're launching a series of gift guides that will offer ideas based on the type of recipient you're shopping for (think coffee craver or pet pamperer). We’ll promote the guides to shoppers throughout the Christmas season.
Starting 13 November, we'll also promote weekly hashtags related to the specific Gift Guide themes. You can take part in the Christmas campaign by using each week's hashtag to promote relevant items from your shop. We'll announce each week's hashtag on our Etsy Success Instagram and in the weekly Etsy Success newsletter. When we promote the Gift Guide to Etsy shoppers on Instagram, we’ll also promote the hashtags, giving shoppers a way to click and discover your items. Below are some examples of the types of items you can expect to find in each guide. Check out our Christmas Gift Guide here.
The tech obsessed: phone cases, charging stations, and mouse pads
The coffee craver: speciality coffee and personalised mugs
The drinks sipper: engraved corkscrews, wine stoppers, and coasters
The aspiring chef: serving boards, vintage ceramics, and homemade spice blends
The work mate: stationary, mouse pads, and tote bags
The eternally best-dressed: jewellery and apparel
The wanderluster: travel bags, passport holders, and landscape art
The pet pamperer: homemade dog treats, custom name plates, cat beds
The dedicated bookworm: candles, bookmarks, and bookends
The vintage time traveller: mid-century home decor and vintage clothing
The green thumb: planters and garden markers
The creative spirit: knitting kits, weaving looms, and embroidery DIYs
The beauty guru: homemade bath and beauty products
The outdoor explorer: luggage tags, hats, and outdoor games
The designated DJ: record storage, guitar stands, and speakers
The make believer: kids costumes and toys
2017 Christmas trends
Our merchandising team has identified the following top 10 trends for the 2017 Christmas season. You can use these trends as a resource for Christmas planning by thinking about how you can incorporate the themes into your items and shops. You can try revamping your product styling or photography to give your items an updated seasonal appeal.
1. All the greetings: Expand beyond the traditional and take note of clever greetings that cover the season like 'Merry Everything', 'Happy Always', 'Joy', Peace, and Love'.
2. Greenery: Playing off this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year, greenery is making its way into Christmas bigger than ever before. Think new hues like bright emeralds and deep evergreens, or more literally where branches of eucalyptus, fern, and succulents are adding a modern take.
3. Modern farmhouse: This nostalgic style with a contemporary spin is making a big way into Christmas — think rustic accents filled with charm and a colour palette of white, black, and burlap to complement hints of reds and green.
4. A fragrant season: From candles and culinary treats to fragrances, oils, and beauty products, seasonal flavours and scents bring Christmas to life. Think autumn and winter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, along with nature-filled scents — that make you think of a particular season — like spruce and sage.
5. Pawsitively great: From sweaters, accessories and pyjamas to bedding, ornaments, stockings and toys, pets are members of the family and becoming an even bigger part of the Christmas celebration and year-round spoiling.
6. Gingerbread everything! This classic confection has evolved. We’re seeing it take shape in the form of modern houses, ornaments, and even being used as a motif for seasonal decor and fashion.
7. Win the gift exchange: Offer small, unexpected gifts (usually within a £20 price range) that bring out a smile or friendly competition among family and peers.
8. Naughty is the new nice: Cheeky spins on charcoal, children's outfits, gifts for couples, and particularly holiday spirits are bringing out a bit of Christmas humour.
9. Just for them: Personalised touches continue to add meaning to gifts and maintain their popularity as an evergreen trend. This year we’re making note of the monogramme; it’s making a big appearance on decor like wreaths, pillows, drinkware and ornaments.
10. Moody hues: Two colour schemes are lighting up this season. 1. “Nordic Snowfall” combines a palette of mixed whites with hints of gold. 2. 'Deep Jewels', a spread of deep gemlike greens, maroons, blues, and blacks accented by hints of metallics like rose gold and silver.
Key shopping dates
Extend the success of your Christmas sales by capturing the early, peak, and last-minute customers this season. Etsy’s plans for promoting Christmas goods span across 11 key shopping dates from early October through the end of December. We created a calendar of key shopping dates that gives you insights into what types of items shoppers are looking for throughout the year, to help you plan promotions for your shop. Check it out in the Marketing section of your Shop Manager.
What trends do you plan to include in your merchandising this Christmas season? What strategies worked well for you last year? Share in the comments below.
Words by Mary Andrews
Mary Andrews helps lead Etsy’s Merchandising team. She’s passionate about helping independent businesses creatively leverage their brands. When she’s not exploring the depths of Etsy for unseen treasures, you’ll find her nerding out over data, taking on a new DIY project or researching plant varieties to try growing with her husband in their urban garden.
