Company news
Galaxus brings dm drugstore to Switzerland
by Stephan Kurmann
These were the trending shop searches of 2022
10.1.2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
A summer heatwave, the energy crisis and a sense of wanderlust have driven the Covid-19 pandemic out of our minds. Last year’s shopping search trends on Galaxus and Digitec say as much, with interest in fans, solar panels and suitcases taking a sharp upturn.
The year 2022 showed us once again how quickly our day-to-day lives can change. No sooner had we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic and found our way back to normal when Russian troops marched into Ukraine. Energy prices soared, taking inflation rates along with them. Shortly afterwards, we were groaning under the heat of Switzerland’s second-warmest summer since records began. Since then, we’ve grown accustomed to saving electricity – and viruses are once again running rampant around the country.
How deeply consumer decision-making is impacted by weather, viruses and world events is revealed in the search bar of online department store Galaxus and electronics specialist Digitec. The three search terms gaining considerable popularity last year were «ecoflow», «solar panels» and «gas cookers». For anyone out there who’s unfamiliar with Ecoflow, it’s a popular manufacturer of power stations, generators and solar panels. Galaxus’ customers typed «ecoflow» into the search bar six times more frequently than in 2021, resulting in a total search figure in the 10,000s. Shoppers searched «solar panels» and «gas cookers» five and four times as often as they did the previous year.
The extent of our preoccupation with the energy shortage is also demonstrated in the increase in searches for «candles», «power banks», «torches» and «thermometers».
Sweating buckets
Last year’s summer heatwave was also at the forefront of people’s minds, with search queries for «air conditioners», «fans» and «li-los» rolling in almost twice as often as in 2021. French-speaking customers were even 164 per cent more likely to hanker after a «ventilateur».
Other trending products were Balea creams, lotions and shampoos. In case you missed it, Galaxus has been exclusively distributing the products of German drugstore chain dm in Switzerland since the autumn of 2021. Galaxus customers also searched for gift vouchers, the iPhone 13, Dyson’s Airwrap hair styler and Halloween decor and costumes far more frequently.
Digitec’s search trends are comparatively banal, with two Samsung and two Apple smartphones released in 2022 dominating the rankings. Still in the top 10, yet trailing behind the frontrunners, were «ecoflow», «solar panels» and «air conditioners».
Lego dominates the search charts
In absolute terms, the predominant search query on Galaxus in the past twelve months was «lego». In 2022, Galaxus and Digitec customers searched the term more than a million times. Star Wars Lego sets and Lego Technic kits were especially popular. The only time «lego» was forced off the top spot was in November, when Advent calendars surged ahead in the popularity stakes. This is down to the yearly flurry of orders in the two months before the Christmas holidays.
Here’s the full-screen version of the interactive graph above.
Besides Lego, other popular Christmas gifts included Pokémon toys, games consoles, Nintendo Switches and puzzles.
During the summer months, fans, sunshades and air conditioners were all the rage to combat the heat. Then came prepper and energy-saving products such as gas cookers, candles, power banks and kettles.
The decline of the Covid-19 pandemic’s hold over our thoughts is shown by the fact «ffp2» only appeared once in the monthly top 5 search terms. In January 2022, masks of this kind were still mandatory in Austrian ski resorts and elsewhere.
A slew of the same searches on Digitec
Browsing the monthly search rankings on Digitec puts a strain on the eyes: overall, «ps5» and «playstation 5» were very popular search terms. Demand for the Sony game console far outstrips supply, even over two years after its release. Since their release, the iPhone 14 and its Pro versions have overshadowed the iPhone 13.
Here’s a full-screen version of the interactive graph above.
What did you search for in our online shops last year? Were you able to snag one of the coveted PlayStation 5s? And what do you think will be the search and shopping trends in 2023? Join the discussion in the comments section!
Alex Hämmerli
Senior Public Relations Manager
Alex.Haemmerli@digitecgalaxus.chAt Digitec and Galaxus, I’m in charge of communication with journalists and bloggers. Good stories are my passion – I am always up to date.
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