Australians are looking to improve their lifestyles at home as winter sets in and restrictions continue to dictate what they can do.
According to Google's new Rising Retail Categories tool, searches for home heating, furniture and decorations, and home cooking and appliances have continued to soar in popularity compared to the same time last year as people prepare to spend more time in their home.
Bikes also continue to be a popular form of recreation and exercise.
The top ten trending categories in Australia over the last month have been:
1. Patio Heaters +200%
2. Fireplaces +200%
3. Bicycle Child Seats +100%
4. Dutch Ovens +100%
5. Plant Stands +100%
6. Candle Making Kits +100%
7. Space Heaters +100%
8. Log Splitters +100%
9. Cooking Wine +100%
10. Wood Stoves +100%
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a clear impact on what products consumers are looking for as they spend more time at home and away from others.
There has been a greater focus this year on personal health and wellbeing, working from home, self-improvement and hobbies.
The top ten trending categories in Australia over the last year have been:
1. Hand Sanitisers & Wipes >1000%
2. Motor Boats >1000%
3. Webcams >1000%
4. Household Disinfectants +900%
5. Model Making +800%
6. Digital Artwork +700%
7. Jigsaw Puzzle Accessories +700%
8. Carpentry & Woodworking Project Plans +700%
9. Free Weights +600%
10.TV Converter Boxes +600%
The Rising Retail Categories tool provides access to a largely unfiltered sample of actual search requests made to Google.
The data is anonymised, categorised and aggregated to display interest in a particular category. It allows users to see what product categories are trending through consumer search queries.
The percentage growth numbers represent the rising popularity of a category in the selected time frame and is updated daily.
“COVID-19 is presenting new challenges to businesses, so having access to insightful data around sector trends is more important than ever," Google Australia retail industry director Renee Gamble says.
"The new dashboard aims to help empower businesses to make the most informed decisions. Through this tool, retailers will have access to timely data around rising interests and needs that people are searching for now so they can best adapt and optimise their business plans to meet the demand of their customers.”
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