So this is Christmas…
In 2015, retailers have benefited from record online shopping sales, while popular carriers like FedEx and UPS are struggling to cope with all those deliveries. No one knows better what consumers are buying this year than Google, the world’s largest search engine and a major player in online shopping.
Google recently released its annual report on the biggest trending search terms of the holiday shopping season, and the 2015 report was titled, “From hoverboards to adult onesies: the gifts we’re searching for this holiday.”
In the toys category, the top searches were for drones, Shopkins, hoverboards, Lego Dimensions, and the Star Wars BB8 Droid. In the fashion category, the popular Christmas keyword of yesteryear “ugly holiday sweaters” was replaced by the new ironic apparel of choice, adult pajamas onesies (followed by Adidas Superstar shoes, Levi’s Jeans, Shinola watches, and bomber jackets).
According to the official Google company blog: “Holiday onesies are the new ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’: Last year ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’ were all the rage. This year we’re seeing holiday onesies are the new kitsch partywear of choice, as searches for ‘adult onesies’ are trending even faster than searches for ‘ugly Christmas sweater.’ (Hey—we don’t try to explain these trends. We just report them. -Ed.)”
Online shoppers can now find everything from adorable animal onesies for toddlers to plus size onesies for adults with just a few taps on their smartphone.
“The most noticeable surge at BigFeetPJs.com was in our adult footed pajamas in the lighter weight cotton flannel and jersey knit fabrics,” said John Fitzpatrick, CEO of Big Feet Pajama Company. “We had many returning customers that own our adult onesies in fleece looking for something lighter for this warmer winter and year around comfort. Once a novelty clothing item, footed adult pajamas are now considered a practical choice for sleep and loungewear.”
Whether they’re buying pajama onesies for adults or new smart watches, Americans are doing so in record numbers. This year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday saw record sales, which have pushed carriers to their limits.
This Christmas season, FedEx is projected to deliver an incredible 420 million packages in the U.S. alone, while UPS will carry at least 228 million shipments.
Fortunately, shipping software company ShipMatrix reports that customers have a strong chance of getting their packages on time. In the third week of December, ShipMatrix reported that UPS overnight and two-day delivery services had an on-time delivery rate of 96.1%, while FedEx saw rates of 98.9%.