We’ve trawled the US and UK markets to bring you the top products retailers are stocking online for the holidays. Call it a sanity checker to ensure you sleigh your Christmas trade.
The discounting season is well underway with events such as Black Friday and Singles’ Day kickstarting customers’ Christmas shopping. And with less than a month until the big day, we used EDITED’s market intelligence capabilities to unearth the hottest product trends across apparel and homeware.
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The state of the market
Due to the ongoing supply chain bottlenecks, retailers encouraged customers to do their holiday shopping early this year to avoid missing out. This led to festive gear selling out earlier, with full-priced products experiencing majority SKU sell outs between July and October, increasing by 236% YoY. In turn, 15% fewer options are available online compared to last year at US retailers.
EDITED’s assortment charts reveal the key products retailers are backing in their festive ranges. Tops are the most stocked category for each cohort, making up 66% of holiday products in childrenswear. In menswear, there’s a greater investment in accessories, while womenswear has an equal weighting in this category and sleepwear. To break it down even further, we outlined the top trends retailers are backing below.
Womenswear
What are the notable themes in womenswear assortments? Unsurprisingly, classic Fair Isle and graphic patterns dominated holiday sweater arrivals. Retailers also landed a wide range of jersey sweatshirts and T-shirt styles to capitalize on the success of loungewear and serve as an alternative to knitwear. ‘Tis the season for cute and cuddly designs – dogs proved a popular motif, with strong backing from Next.
A key category for gifting, festive sleepwear has blanketed the market, with Fair Isle, plaid and slogan pajama sets being the prominent trends. Retailers invested in onesies to tap into childhood nostalgia, while boohoo offered an elegant alternative to cotton jersey; satin sets with “Santa Baby” embroidery.
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George at ASDA -
Joules at Next -
boohoo
For the full review on womenswear holiday trends for 2021, log in to EDITED to read our report.
Menswear
In menswear, slogans have emerged as the most popular design, adorned across sweaters and tees for social holiday parties with friends or headwear, socks and pajamas for festive gifting. Jacamo, boohooMAN and ASOS all landed apparel with phrases and graphics referencing drinks and suggestive innuendos. Cheesy puns are another comical take on slogans and are typically a crowd-pleaser. The silly season is certainly in full swing!
Cold weather accessories are a price-friendly option for the consumer and an easy way to increase basket spend. Advent calendar socks are a hit, with fun angles like “12 Days Of Socks” and movie-themed options stocked at retailers. Subtle iterations are best reserved for office-friendly accessories like socks and cufflinks, providing a path to participation while remaining professional.
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Jacamo -
Boden -
SHEIN
Want to see the trends your competitors backed? Log in to EDITED to read the menswear holiday trends for 2021.
Childrenswear
For little ones, film and gaming licenses were a big story. Standouts included seasonal movies such as Frozen and The Grinch, incorporated into tops and pajamas. To cater to the ongoing interest in interactive clothing, retailers landed sensory options with elements including tactile appliqué and colored lights.
As seen at Target, matching sleepwear for dolls stood out as an area of interest and a new take on the mini-me festive pajama trend, while the classic matching candy-striped and plaid offerings are among top stocked styles.
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H&M -
Old Navy -
Target
For the full round-up of yuletide childrenswear trends, log in to read our festive newness and licensing reports.
Homeware
Unconventional tree decorations such as dinosaurs, camper vans, and pancakes stood out amongst the more traditional bauble offerings – a trend that Anthropologie has heavily backed. Festive candles and home scents were widely noted amongst arrivals, with rotary candles holders providing a more decorative option.
Nordic and Fair Isle patterns were applied to blankets, throws, and bedspreads, offering a more subtle take on Christmas. These products will still have relevance beyond the festive period, working as part of ski and cabin edits. Already a popular trend on Instagram, textured cushions featured frequently in arrivals – hand-hooked textures were of particular note. Bolder novelty designs, slogans, and pet-themed prints also landed for the Christmas purists.
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Anthropologie -
Matalan -
Pier 1
Expanding into this category for next Christmas? Log in read our full report on homeware festive trends.
From the team at EDITED, we wish you a very happy holiday trade. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Insider Briefing for more articles and look for our podcast EDITED: Inside Retail wherever you listen.
Contributions by Katherine, Aoife, Sophie, Krista and kayla.
The Analyst Team
