January 2010
Happy New Year!
January is upon us – a new year and new selling opportunities. Etsy’s merchandising plans this month will focus on the New Year, winter fashions, winter escapes and Valentine’s Day
Here are some seasonal motifs to help you with inventory planning and promotion:
Resolutions: DIY projects, redecorating, fitness, organization. Anything that makes you think of new beginnings, fresh starts and renewal.
2011 Calendars: An organizational must. Etsy’s merchandising desk suggests classical styles, multifunctional versions and personalized takes — such as chalkboard surfaces.
Winter Fashion: Think ‘warm’ – outerwear, winter shoes and boots, weather resistant material and rich cozy fabrics. Think ‘winter accessories’ – mittens, gloves, legwarmers, hats, scarves, etc. And don’t forget jewelry and hair accessories to match the ‘warm’ theme in color and design.
International Vacations and Resort Wear: For those headed to tropic temps, think travel gear, luggage, carryalls, photography, preservation of memories, foreign languages and seasonal style. Elegant yet comfortable beachwear and formal dinner fashions and accessories.
Cozy Home: Many people are spending more time indoors this time of year – think in terms of cozy accessories, quilts, blankets, throws, candles, centerpieces, kitchen updates, DIY projects and wall decor. Also, storage solutions and multifunctional furniture.
Weddings and Celebrations: Brides-to-be are currently shopping for their spring and summer weddings. Decor, gifts for the wedding party, memorable favors and decorative items for the wedding and reception. For winter weddings, think in terms of grand indoor affairs, snowy accents, long sleeves and thick fabrics.
Valentine’s Day: Romance is in the air! Think decor for parties, favors, DIY projects, fashion, lingerie, homemade sweets, cards and notes, flowers, jewelry, gag gifts, personalized keepsakes. Emphasis on gift ideas for him, her, family, kids, friends, coworkers.
Garnet is January’s birthstone, and January’s astrological signs are Capricorn (December 22 – January 20) and Aquarius (January 21 – February 19).
Remember to use your tags and keywords to attract buyers to your shop for these seasonal buys!
January Trends
- Calendars, journals, and thank you cards
- Valentine’s Day references
- DIY kits and projects
- Recipe books, culinary gadgets, journals, organizational and storage solutions, to-do lists, and goal setting/tracking essentials
- Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiacs, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
- Winter Fashion: Vintage boots, saddle shoes, oxfords, carryall bags, knit accessories, cardigan and wrap sweaters, long sleeves, rich fabrics.
- Teacups, kettles, pots, and confections
- Beards and mustaches (we know, we know!)
- Feathers, arrows, diamonds, geometric shapes and patterns, paper cuts and silhouettes
- Lockets, secret hiding places, vintage letterpress blocks, and skeleton keys
- Farmhouse references, vintage industrial decor, chalkboard and writable surfaces, vintage cameras, letterpress drawers, and typewriters
- Fortune cookies, wishbones, fortune tellers and honey bees
- Gadgets, gadget cozies, docks, and carriers
- Vintage brass and cast iron animals
- Natural history and woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
- Colors: Cozy neutrals, taupe, oatmeal, turquoise, aqua, saffron, deep red, metallics.
If you’d like to stay engaged and involved with the approaching merchandising themes, use them in your own artistic voice as you add to your shop. This can be translated in your listings, photos, shop announcements, descriptions, tags, titles, sales promotions and more. We’re excited to see your creative interpretations!
If your items fall under the main thematic categories we’ll be highlighting this month, consider purchasing a spot in a Category Showcase. For those of you who enjoy making Treasuries, we’ll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive way throughout the site. Please tag your Treasuries accordingly.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
January is known as:
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- National Blood Donor Month
- National Hobby Month
- Hot Tea Month.
- January 1: New Year’s Day
- January 2: Berchtoldstag (Switzerland)
- January 6: Epiphany, Three Kings Day
- January 16: Golden Globes
- January 17: Martin Luther King Day
- January 19: Edgar Allan Poe born
- January 25: Foundation Day (Brazil)
- January 25: Robbie Burns Day (Scotland)
- January 26: Australia Day
- January 26: Republic Day (India)
Etsy’s January Merchandising article can be found in its entirety here:
From Etsy’s Merchandising Desk: Jump Starting January :: Etsy Blog
Happy selling!