'Holiday' fashion to top shoppers' lists this Christmas

London - With the Christmas trading period kicking off this month, fashion retailers across the nation are preparing for the festive season as shoppers begin their search for the perfect gift and outfits. Although some apparel retailers may struggle to reach their targets this Christmas, the fashion category still boasts one of the longest and earliest "windows of influence" according to eBay's Christmas Tracker.

Shoppers may begin thinking about their Christmas shopping as early as October, but the beginning of November signaled the kick off for their holiday shopping last year, as searches for "Christmas" on eBay.co.uk increased 55 percent during the first weekend of the month. The peak week for fashion retailers took place during the first week of November, as shoppers began long-listing their favorite party dresses and the perfect gift ideas.

Christmas Jumpers top eBay searches during the holiday season

As the big day began to loom closer, shoppers began switching from searching and inspiration to purchasing. "Christmas Jumper" was the most commonly searched for item in eBay's clothes, shoes and accessories category in the run-up to Christmas last year, with over 4500,000 searches being made during the month of December. Searches for "Christmas Jumper" peaked on December 4, with shoppers making more than 115,000 searches during the day alone.

"The final few months of the year present a wealth of valuable opportunities for fashion retailers," said Lorna Dunne, Head of Fashion Business Development at eBay to FashionUnited. "With party season on the horizon, consumers are increasingly willing to splash out – not only on the perfect gifts for their loved ones but also on themselves. Our data shows that female shoppers were busy searching for dresses and boots last December, indicating that finding the right outfit for the festivities is just as important as finishing their Christmas shopping."

"For retailers, the key to success this Christmas lies in careful planning and navigation of the crowded landscape," added Dunne. "Start by spending time getting to know your shoppers; understanding their individual needs and interests, and catering for the full spectrum of ages and audiences. Then plan around the peak moments, promoting inventory accordingly to weather the waves of demand from Black Friday to Christmas Jumper Day or Panic Saturday. By remaining nimble to respond to the trends and always looking for opportunities to cross and up-sell, fashion sellers can ensure they get their fair share of spend this Christmas."

During the months of November and December 2016, the most searched for items and brands for Women and Men in eBay's Clothes, Shoes & Accessories category were:

Homepage photo: via Pexels

Photoes 1-3: eBay.co.uk