The 2023 eBay Ads Holiday Guide is out, it’s their fourth annual Holiday Guide, featuring key insights eBay have uncovered, as well as best-practice tips, so you can maximize your holiday sales potential.
eBay’s team of experts gathered valuable shopper sentiment data to ensure that this year’s holiday guide is filled with the most current insights on consumer behavior. They conducted a shopper survey that included over 3,000 participants, inclusive of 1,500+ eBay buyers, asking key questions to discover consumer spending habits, the importance of online shopping, and what major factors will influence shopper purchases this year.
You can download the full eBay Ads Holiday Guide here
Marketplaces
Marketplaces are the starting point for the majority of holiday shopping journeys. This is emphasised by the majority of U.S. consumers surveyed (71%) saying they begin their holiday shopping on online marketplaces. eBay was named as one of the top three destinations for holiday shopping and great deals. This gives eBay a unique edge on the season, as the marketplace is home to a wealth of holiday shoppers who start their search specifically with us.
Ads
Survey data showed that one-third (33%) shoppers say they are very influenced by ads during the holidays, with more than 50% of gifts they purchase being different from what they originally intended to purchase, due to ads. This percentage rises to almost half (47%) of Millennial shoppers. For eBay sellers, this emphasizes the need for well-targeted and measured advertising campaigns, as eBay shoppers are highly influenced during the season.
Top categories
As the 2023 holiday season approaches, it will be helpful to understand consumer search trends for the top shopping categories from previous years. Data shows that, for example, decor such as blankets and throws may pick up speed as early as October, while items that are widely available, such as video games, get purchased later in the season.
Christmas spend
eBay found that six in ten (61%) of all surveyed shoppers ended up spending more than expected on holiday gifts last year. In addition to holiday gifts, holiday decorations also caused shoppers to overspend, with 46% of all shoppers spending more than expected on decorations.
While buyers are likely to splurge and spend a bit more than they anticipate, they will still demand quality items at great values. In fact, more than half (53%) of shoppers cited good value for money as a priority when shopping for gifts this year. Being competitive with pricing, and strategic with when and how you boost visibility of your listings with advertising is critical to maximizing the value of your ad spend.
There’s so much more to discover about eBay consumer habits over the holiday season and how sellers can take advantage of them to wrap up more sales, which we delve into in the full guide.
