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The holiday shopping season is kicking off, and we want to make sure your stockings are hung with care. We’ve shared our picks for holiday decor and gifts, but if you’re still looking for something new to complete your displays, there’s one theme that has united many of the trends we’ve shared this year: nostalgia.
As life becomes more and more tech-saturated, shoppers are craving ways to unplug. They’re enjoying tech-free game nights with friends with good food and vintage vibes. Today, we’re exploring how you can tap into this desire for simpler times and how to make the most of the trend on your shelves right now.
Food gifting: Comfort foods that taste homemade
According to PWC, “Food is also emerging as one of the most resilient gift categories this year. ‘Consumables’ landed in the top five gifts on shopping lists this year, with 26% going for family, 28% for friends, and 23% for themselves.” Even if consumers are tightening their financial belts, they will still likely give consumables, so stocking food gifts will delight and comfort shoppers this holiday season.
To inspire your shopping, here are a few favorite food gifts that harken back to the good ol’ days. Set them up in a section individually or wrap them together in preassembled gift boxes for shoppers to grab and go.
- Rocky Mountain Trail Loaded Potato Soup Mix: For colder days ahead, soup mixes make dinner a cinch, while still tasting just like Mom made it.
- Sweet Honey Cornbread Mix: Continuing to keep things hale and hearty, baking mixes like this one from Finding Home Farms help giftees quickly whip together a tasty side dish.
- Maple candy: New England kids and kids at heart would love a batch of maple candy. This particular set is made fresh to order without any preservatives in the best place for maple: Vermont.
- Peanut brittle, cookie brittle, and salt water taffy: What do these three treats have in common? They’ll remind giftees of long summer days spent by the beach, strolling the boardwalk, fingers coated with sugar.
- Oatmeal cream cookies: Baked are always a hit. These sweet and chewy oatmeal cream sandwich cookies taste homemade.
- Moon Pies: For the Southern set, Moon Pies are a classic treat. With banana icing sandwiched between two fluffy vanilla marshmallow cakes, these are also a nice nod to the banana trend.
- Stuffed s’mores cookies: While it’s tough to give the experience of s’mores, you can just smush the whole flavor profile into a cookie. Pair these cookies with extra chocolate, marshmallows, and skewers so shoppers can make their own s’mores gift kits.
Bringing this trend to life in-store is about activating all your shoppers’ senses. Consider treat-scented candles or simmer pots to set mouths watering. You might try displaying treats in mismatched glass jars or tins for a particularly homemade look. And lastly, the season of sampling is upon us, so be sure to set up your tasting station with festive napkins and cutlery.
Wellness gifting: Items that help you pause and reset
If you take a look at our Faire Market recap from August, at-home comfort remained top of mind for retailers across regions. Categories like jigsaw puzzles, scented candles, and bath salts signaled that buyers are helping customers to invest in rest. For consumers who are not in their hosting era, simple self-care is the way to go: Searches are higher for hydration drinks, journals, and planners than party kits, and retailers should take note when buying inventory.
Other ways to give a quiet day of wellness? Offer this beautifully packaged ceremonial matcha for a very on-trend pick-me-up or palo santo incense to set the mood. There’s magnesium spray, which is believed to make for an excellent night’s sleep. Finally, this mug (because if you’re not telling people about your wellness goals, are you even doing them right?).
Here are just a few ways to merchandise wellness products to entice shoppers:
- Craft a “Moment of Zen” table near checkout, with incense or candles, fragrant teas, and lotions to sample.
- Group items by self-care ritual to increase basket sizes, such as a Morning Energy bundle (matcha, a mug, and a planner) or Evening Calm Collection (incense, an eye mask, and a lavender candle).
- Create a build-your-own gift basket station, emphasizing affordable treats, that lets customers tailor gifts by budget and interest.
Goods for gathering
It’s clear from the rise in searches for things like “book club” (up 293% year-over-year) and “mahjong” (up 260% since December) that people are craving old-fashioned activities that encourage togetherness. These gatherings aren’t fancy—they’re cozy, comfy, analog, and throwback. Very much in line with The Great Indoors trend we saw earlier this year.
This holiday season, stock gifts that facilitate comfy, homey moments.
- Acrylic backgammon set: This backgammon set is not only fun but a piece of art in its own right. Who needs a coffee table book when you have a coffee table game?
- Classic board game set: For the person who has it all, this gorgeous set of board games is tucked neatly into a bookish package. They’re also available individually.
- Nights & Weekends cookbook: Cookbook clubs are becoming increasingly popular (according to Popsugar), so keep an eye on stylish cookbooks, like this one from social media star Alexis deBoschnek.
- Merino throw blanket: Help shoppers set the scene for a holiday gathering with a luxurious merino throw. Both colorways here are rich and eye-catching, whether your shoppers prefer springy pinks and purples or autumnal sage and terracotta.
- Mushroom-lover candles: These adorable candles are a conversation starter. If your shop has a foodie theme, they’ll delight your audience—and be very on-brand for cozy nights in with friends and family.
- Simmer pot kit: Simmer pots are a classic trick to making your home smell holiday-ready. For people who love to host, these little kits make for a quick and affordable gift.
Curate small vignettes that sell an experience, not just a product. Pair games and puzzles with festive bowls and popcorn to set the scene for a “Game Night In,” or match the simmer pot kits with soft blankets to spark the senses for a cozy winter afternoon.
Ready to stock your shop for the holiday season? See the rest of our trending gifts right here →
