The top 3 eBay shopper trends we’ll see this summer

The sun is shining and eBay shoppers are eager to get outdoors. With a shift in temperatures comes a shift in buyer behavior on eBay. We looked at shopper insights over late spring and early summer in 2022 to inform our sellers of trends they can likely expect this year.

Here’s what we found: There was an increase in activity in categories most popular in the springtime just before summer, including Parts & Accessories, Home & Garden, and Sporting Goods, in categories such as camping gear and sports gear. With many people planning to go on road trips, spend time out in nature, or simply enjoy the comfort of their backyards, this is the best time to start promoting your listings in these categories.

Keep reading to learn more shopper insights as we dive into the specifics of each trending category amongst buyers over the summer.

1. eBay shoppers take off for vacation

School’s out for summer and that means people are prepping their vehicles for road trips and weekend adventures. While the demand for Auto Accessories & Gear was high throughout the summer, more eBay shoppers purchased Auto Covers, Decals, and Storage between late May and June rather than later in the summer in July. Items in Exterior Parts & Accessories mostly followed a similar trend of seeing more purchases earlier in the season as they prepared for the peak of summer. 

On the other hand, Cargo Covers saw nearly 1.15x as many purchases, Interior Locks & Lock Hardware saw 1.8x more, and Parking Brake Levers saw nearly 2.9x more from late June to July compared to the end of spring.¹  Though it’s important to note that most items in Interior Parts & Accessories stayed roughly consistent throughout the summer in terms of purchases, seeing the biggest lifts in sales around the end of May and June.²

2. Swimming pools are a big hit on eBay

As shoppers prepared to hang out by the pool last summer, they made more swimming pool purchases at the start of summer versus in the middle of it. Above-ground pools sold nearly 6.5% more in late spring and early summer than later in the season. Similarly, Inflatable & Kid Pools saw almost 2x more purchases and Youth Swimwear sold over 4x more during the same time period.¹ 

Water sports grew into a more popular shopper trend once July hit, with over 1.5x the purchases made in Wakeboard Bindings and 1.15x more in Waterskis compared to late spring and early summer.¹

3. Shoppers spend more time outdoors

With the school year over and peak vacation times hitting in June and July, the demand for camping and traveling items rises. This was seen on eBay, with Tents, Canopies, and Accessories stayed nearly the same throughout May, June, and July. Purchases in Kayaking, Canoeing, & Rafting stayed strongly consistent throughout the summer season, hitting year highs in sales over June and July. 

Hiking and Camping gear purchases peak at this time of year, with categories such as Bottles & Hydration, Climbing Clothing, and Walking & Trekking Sticks hitting some of their highest lifts in sales of the year around late spring. Camping Furniture saw a 61% lift in sales surrounding the Fourth of July holiday in 2022.¹

Home & Garden continued to be a trending category as spring ended and summer began. Shoppers made plenty of searches and purchases in home décor items as they prepared their homes for hosting. In early summer, Flags saw nearly 1.75x the purchases, Ornaments & Statues saw 1.5x purchases, and Planters & Vases saw over 1.3x purchases compared to late summer. There was over a 50% lift in purchases in Patio & Garden Furniture Sets, as well.¹

Promote your listings to get more exposure

A great way to grow your business and capitalize on the summer shopper trends we’ll be seeing soon is to use Promoted Listings Advanced. The ad solution gives your listings preferred access to premium placements on eBay and can help boost your sales. In fact, sellers see 50% more sales, on average, when using Promoted Listings Advanced, compared to non-promoted items.³ 

Getting started is easy. Try our quick setup option, and then utilize the keyword targeting and budget controls to stay on track. Click the button below and get started today.