Holiday Decorations Marketers and Retailers Face Tough Season Ahead
Retailers and marketers are already hunkering down for a less than stellar Christmas gift shopping season. Now there is one more reason to add to their gloom: There is no trendy Christmas decoration that people absolutely must buy to add to their holiday displays. As a result, Christmas decorations sales are expected to remain about the same as last year, about $9.3 billion, according to a market study by Unity Marketing.
“Innovation drives the seasonal decorations market, and this year there is nothing really new to capture people’s imaginations and compel them to buy,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience. “Last season, the must-have item was the outdoor balloon inflatables, which contributed to the 9.5 percent growth in sales of Christmas decorations from 2005 to 2006.
“The biggest innovation this year is the prelighted Christmas trees, which eliminates a major hassle in decorating. But with prices ranging $250 and above for the better offerings, this isn’t the season when people are likely to ‘trade up’ to a more luxurious alternative,” Danziger says. “Consumers are expected to focus on the ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to Christmas decorating, including Christmas tree balls and ornaments, mantel decorations and candle lights.”
New color schemes for Christmas decorating are not likely to jump-start sales this year, either. “While decorators and designers keep pushing alternative color combos for Christmas,” she says, “nearly 70 percent of decorations buyers surveyed plan on sticking to traditional green and red themes. Gold is a popular accent color, followed by white and silver.”
Videos
