Revenues soared 240 times as spring and summer travel products are hot on Amazon

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, people's travel has been subject to many restrictions. Against this background, the desire to travel has become stronger.

Jungle Scout said that 62% of Americans plan to take up to four trips in 2022. The coming spring and summer are a good time for people to travel. At the same time, the easing of the epidemic in the United States has also provided favorable conditions for travel. Data shows that since the outbreak in January, the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States has continued to decrease recently, and has stabilized at around 40,000 cases in recent times, a significant decrease from the high of nearly 1.4 million in January.

Nevertheless, the high inflation in the U.S. cannot be ignored. The price report released by the U.S. government on March 31 showed that overall prices in the U.S. rose 6.4% in February compared with the same period last year, the highest year-on-year increase since January 1982, with food and gasoline prices rising particularly significantly.

On the one hand, people want to travel and relax; on the other hand, high inflation limits people's consumption. Under the influence of these two factors, what new changes will there be in Americans' consumption behavior? Jungle Scout's recently released US spring and summer shopping trend report may provide some reference (based on Amazon US data).

The desire to travel is strong, and many related products are experiencing growth

Jungle Scout points out that families and young people are the groups most eager to travel this year. 58% of Americans are more interested in large family travel than ever before, and more than 60% of millennials and Generation Z hope to take a great vacation in 2022.

This excitement about travel is reflected in shopping trends on Amazon, with luggage sales up 183% in March compared to last year, according to data collected by Jungle Scout.

At the same time, sales and volume in this category increased by nearly 20% compared to the previous three months. Among them, the revenue of a certain suitcase increased by 7,000%. Jungle Scout found that the primary keyword for this ASIN is "clearance luggage sets", and the search volume has increased by 110% in the past 30 days. This shows that even those who plan to travel will try to keep costs as low as possible.

The extra focus on cost may affect where and how they choose to travel, with 62% of Americans saying they are thinking more about where and how they travel this year than before the pandemic.

For many consumers, the beach is a popular choice for spring and summer vacations. And shopping trends also show that it is likely to become a popular destination this year. In the past three months, sales of beach chairs and umbrellas on Amazon have increased by nearly 75%. In addition, sales of beach toys have increased by nearly 40%. For example, the revenue of a certain children's beach bag increased by more than 3,000% in the past month.

This year, many college students have resumed their spring break travel, which has also driven the growth of sales of related products. For example, the revenue of a water beer pong table has increased by more than 200% in the past month .

Not only that, but bikini sales have skyrocketed, up 300% from last year’s spring break sales . Over the past six months, the top 25 products in the category have all seen revenue growth of 100% or more.

In addition to playing on the beach, outdoor adventures are also one of the outdoor activities that Americans are keen on. In the past 90 days, sales of canoes and kayaks on Amazon have increased by 81%.

However, it is important to note that categories such as camping equipment did not see a significant increase in sales. Compared with March last year , camping equipment revenue increased by only 4%, while sales volume increased by 7%.

Jungle Scout believes that this may be because product pricing affects consumers' purchasing decisions, and many people are reluctant to buy expensive goods. The agency found that a tent priced at $299.99 has seen a 70% drop in revenue in the past six months, while a tent priced at $159.99 has seen a more than 100% increase in revenue.

When it comes to price increases, we have to mention gasoline. With gasoline prices rising, consumers are cautious about long-distance car travel, which is reflected in some Amazon search activities. Searches for "road trip" on Amazon are 60% lower than in March 2021 and only 6.7% higher than in March 2020 when there were concerns about the epidemic.

As a result, some road trip-related products are also not selling well. In the past 90 days, sales of a magnetic game travel set have dropped by more than 50%. In addition, sales of a car trash can have dropped by 90% compared with last year, and sales of another car storage box have also dropped by 50% year-on-year.

"Home vacation" becomes a trend, and the income of a grill soars 240 times

Despite the increased interest in travel, the percentage of U.S. consumers who are comfortable flying or attending in-person events remains below 50%. This lingering hesitation, coupled with the fact that the average American household now has to spend an additional $300 per month due to high inflation, has forced many consumers to put some or all of their spring and summer plans on hold and they may choose to entertain themselves at home.

In 2021, 54% of people planned to visit family and relatives, and 50% planned to visit friends; this year, both figures have increased by more than 20%. For this reason, many people are preparing for home entertainment in the spring and summer.

Sales of outdoor grills have increased by nearly 20% since the beginning of March. Some products have achieved amazing revenue growth in the past 30 days, such as a grill sales increase of more than 24,000% in one month . Sales of outdoor tables have doubled in the past 90 days. In the past month, the revenue of a 6-person patio table has increased by more than 3,000%. In the same period, the sales of the ice cream maker of this company have also increased by more than 1,200%.

In addition to food, people also need to prepare for entertainment. In the past 90 days, the sales of garden entertainment products have soared. For example, the revenue of a certain children's outdoor beach and water game table increased by more than 900% last month , the sales of an inflatable bounce house also increased by more than 400%, and the sales of outdoor speakers also increased by more than 500%.

As consumers juggle cost concerns and a desire to indulge, their shopping behavior may be less predictable than in the past. However, as trends begin to emerge, here are three ways sellers can prepare for the spring and summer shopping season:

One is to expand product lines. If travel-related purchases have been the main source of revenue during this period, sellers can consider providing more products for consumers who are "on vacation at home."

The second is to adjust pricing strategies. As many consumers are looking to spend less, sellers can re-examine their own pricing strategies and those of their competitors and consider where they can offer discounts and other purchase incentives.

Third, get ready for summer sales. Amazon Prime Day is expected to take place sometime in June or July, and Walmart is likely to launch similar sales around the same time. These events will be in the spotlight this year as budget-conscious consumers are looking for deals.

In general, with the arrival of spring and summer, the number of people traveling and vacationing will continue to increase, and the sales of related products will also rise. However, under the premise of skyrocketing inflation, consumers may prefer products with better cost performance.

USA

Spring and Summer Products