Summer Consumer Trends That Every Merchants Should Know About

Summer is the best time of year to socialize and relax! That means consumption. As a merchant, you should be aware of the summer purchase trends and adjust your sales strategy. If you're not a business owner, here are four trends that will give you some inspiration.

Outdoor Party

Long hours of sunshine and warm weather make people feel relaxed and happy, and people can wear loose, light clothes instead of heavy and obstructive coats. People have more social options in summer than in winter. Winter is not the time for a backyard barbecue, right?

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, revealed that 35% of people are less likely to socialize in the winter than in the summer, with 3 in 10 socializing only once or twice on average during the winter months. Thankfully, once the temperature rises, so do people's social plans. The results found the average American is 31 percent more social in summer than in winter.

People often want to spend more time with family and friends. Such as outdoor hiking, barbecues and road trips. Summer can't go without a rave, and almost half of Americans plan to throw one. Summer parties usually have a dozen guests and take three days to prepare. At parties, the most common thing people do is barbecue. Because it's the easiest activity to do and the easiest to share with friends.

There are many themes for summer parties: family gatherings, graduation parties, barbecues, Fourth of July celebrations, and picnics. These activities need something to be shared with many people, so people need a lot of disposable items, such as disposable tableware, kitchen paper, kraft paper and paper cups. The demand for charcoal and outdoor ovens will also increase. People tend to buy finished sausage, semi-finished steak, chicken wings; carbonated drinks, crispy snacks and fried chicken. As a result, supermarket and outdoor equipment stores are busier in the summer.

There's no party without grilled food, and beer is the top choice. According to data compiled by CouponBirds, 33 percent of Americans consider themselves special occasion drinkers, and 26 percent say they drink socially.

The beer market in the U.S. had been growing steadily before the pandemic. Revenue declined to around 98 billion in 2020 due to the severe COVID-19. However, with the relaxation of quarantine policies as well as the eased travel limitations, beer sales rebound. In 2021, the revenue of beer reached 109 billion and increased to 121 billion in 2022, which exceeded the number before COVID-19.

Fitness And Sunblock

In addition to food and beer, there are some other items that people are more likely to buy during the summer. People are more likely to exercise in the summer to stay in shape or lose weight. Because in summer, the clothes can dry quickly after washing. The temperature drops and it's still bright at dusk, making it a good time for people to exercise outside after work. So during the summer, sales of exercise-related products such as sportswear, breathable running shoes, sports accessories, yoga mats, water bottles and wireless earbuds will see a big increase in sales.

Heat prevention products are also a top choice. Although few people are willing to go outside in the afternoon, it is necessary for everyone to prepare for heat prevention throughout the summer, as the extreme climate in recent years has led to hotter and hotter summers. If you do not pay attention to outdoor heat prevention, it is likely to lead to heat stroke. No matter what kind of people they are, they always need sunblock, sunglasses, and UV block umbrellas in summer.

Travel

Study of Ipsos MORI sentiment analysis and first-party Tripadvisor data shows traveler intent for 2022 demonstrates high demand for booking experiences and a willingness to spend more on travel. Businesses should maintain cleanliness and safety to win over travelers.

Despite the new variants of the coronavirus, people’s desire to travel has not ebb. Because of the lockdown in the previous two years, many people were unable to travel during holidays, putting their plans on hold for a long time. With the recent easing of global lockdowns, tourism will pick up quickly.

“Travelers are quickly adapting to local public health conditions, with cleanliness and safety remaining important factors in their planning.” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer, Tripadvisor, Inc.

In summer, students can go to cool places with their families and friends to explore the "new world" during their summer vacation. Not just this summer, but in the future, the travel and air transportation industries will see a recovery in business. Reservations for hotels, large scale amusement parks and scenic spots will slowly return to pre-pandemic levels. Online booking services, which have grown rapidly during the pandemic, will also help the tourism rebound and make it easier for tourists to travel.

The demand for outdoor goods needed for travel will also rise. Sturdy outdoor shoes and backpacks, camping tents, toiletries trail set are the top choices for travelers. At the same time, travelers need to record their exciting journeys, so sales of digital cameras, aerial photography robots, charger devices and document storage devices will also heat up. So businesses need to think about how to provide targeted services and promotion to travelers.

Computer Games

Although people have not gone out to play for a long time because of the pandemic, some people will choose indoor entertainment in the face of the summer heat. These people are reluctant to travel far and prefer to entertain in the comfort of their homes without shocks and changes. So games and board games are a good choice for them.

With the product iteration of video games and board games, many adults have games for them too, not just for kids. According to the video game digital distribution service and storefront - Steam, the most popular games of 2022 are Elden Ring, Dota, Monster Hunter Rise and so on.

Some people prefer to seek pleasure and excitement in the virtual world compared to the real world. And prices are different now. Elden Ring, for example, launched at $59.99. In addition to the game itself, the game also requires high-quality equipment to run on.This has driven sales of games, computers and gamepads.

These are four summer purchase trends. Due to the influence of seasonal and pandemic, the business of some industries will be improved. Don't miss the change of consumer demands and their seasonal growth. Take advantage of the opportunity to make a big profit figure in the middle of the year.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes