What Kiwis want for Christmas November 30, 2010
Posted by Michael Carney in : Christmas, auctions, selling , trackbackSo you want to make a few extra pennies for that Christmas break? What better way than selling a few goodies on Trade Me!
Hold on a minute, though — before you run off and start baking those gorgeous Christmas cakes (caution: may contain nuts, if you’re following the recipe), pause a moment and let’s have a look at what prospective buyers have been searching for in recent times. We just might find inspiration which will help guide our choices …
First let’s sneak a peek at the very hottest choices on Trade Me — the Top 15 Most Popular Searches on Trade Me are carried every month in the Trade Me newsletter, so that’s a good place to start.
As you’d probably expect, the iPhone (#1 in October), iPad (#5) and iPod (#9) are amongst the most sought-after goodies on Trade Me (as enthusiastic but cash-strapped consumers look for bargains). Unless you’re an authorised Apple orchard, you probably don’t have access to those products at a price that makes the igadgets worth reselling. However if you are able to source useful accessories (eg cases & covers) at a hot price, the continuing popularity of the core items suggests that there’s still good demand for add-ons.
Another technology on the Most Wanted list: GPS (#8), the ideal gift for the male of the species. Finally, a technological compensation for the genetic aversion to stopping and asking for directions.
If your prospective customers’ tastes run more to fashion than firmware, perennial favourites that keep making the bestseller list on Trade Me include Karen Walker, Country Road, Trelise Cooper and Roxy. Demand is clearly there; your challenge is to arrange supply at a profitable price point.
If we dig beyond the published Top 15 list and take a look at the fifty most searched-for items on Trade Me (this time for September 2010), here’s what we note:
- If you’re flogging furniture, chairs (#18) are more popular than coffee tables (#24), any other tables (#27), drawers (#28), mirrors (#35), or lounge suites (#49)
- At this time of year, shoes (#17) are more sought after than boots (#32)
- You don’t need to be a fashionista to realise that black (#30) remains far more popular than white (#47)
- Today’s kids may have been wired since birth, but parents keep trying to cut the cable: Lego (#16) is wanted rather more than the most popular console, PS3 (#31)
- Most wanted musical instrument? The guitar (#44)
- The iPad may be the most preferred portable computing device, but laptops (#22) are still an affordable alternative
- Weddings (#38) are still in style, but there’s a bit more demand for chainsaws (#36)
If what we ‘ve covered so far doesn’t do it for you, let’s take a look beyond Trade Me, at what consumers are searching for through Google. We can’t drill down very far for New Zealand searches, but we can for Australia so let’s take a look at what was hot across the ditch in the last seven days:
- In books, Harry Potter remains incandescent, newly joined by the Chronicles of Narnia (ahead of the launch of the newest movie in the series, Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
- In health and beauty, Laser Hair Removal is tops, followed by GHD Hair Straighteners and StrawberryNet
- Gran Turismo 5 is hottest in games
- Christmas songs are on the up and up
- Fishing is the most popular recreation search, followed by Bikes, Boats and Horses
- Most popular science topic: coolmaths4kids
- Fastest rising travel search: Cambodia
To figure out more popular items worth selling, head to Google Insights for Search and do your own crunching.
PS Merry Christmas!
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