RetailSpeaks newsletter recipients have heard me hint at how 4Q will be built on tradition, home, and hearth. Well folks, don’t doubt it. This morning, Good Morning America did a piece about the surge in Christian themed product purchases. True, some of the stuff is kitsch-—as dearly as I hold my own faith, odds of a Jesus Christ bobble head doll landing on my shopping list are slimmer than none. Same goes for the Bible themed power bars (seriously...I couldn’t make this stuff up.) But make no mistake-—faith based gifts are on the uptick. Big time.Don’t mistake this for an anomaly. As world, political, and economic jitters continue to encroach on their lives, consumers continue to pull back to a safer, saner, quieter time...and that’s childhood. To adapt, retailers need to embrace what I call “Mashed Potato Marketing,” built on documented human behavioral patterns rife with comfort food, tradition, and “all things home.”
For the full write up and buying advice, visit the RetailSpeaks newsletter archive (specifically the June/July issue).
Retailers who figure this out and buy accordingly will hold their own-—or better yet, do really well this holiday season. Those who buy like it’s 1999, though...good luck. This isn’t the year to bet on edgy trends or hipster brown and blue. It’s gonna be all about Christmas, Christ, and that guy in the funny red sleigh.
Now...pass the homemade ostkaka and a spoon, please?
Posts
