From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, Wayfair managed a low single-digit sales increase in sales from the United States versus the same time period in 2021 with Black Friday coming in as the biggest of the five-day period in terms of revenue generation.
Trends Wayfair identified included purchasing to make guests feel more at home, with consumers buying everything from beds, mattresses and nightstands to down comforters and sheet sets. At the same time, shoppers showed interest in products that make for easy cleanup such as home washable rugs and cordless vacuums including the top-selling Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum. Wayfair shoppers also updated their living spaces with sectional sofas and coffee tables as well as light fixtures, window treatments and area rugs. The theme of getting ready for guests continued in other categories as consumers took advantage of Wayfair’s Cyber Weekend deals to purchase extendable dining sets, rolling kitchen carts, dining hutches, bar carts and bar stools. Shoppers also refreshed their tablescapes, snapping up flatware, wine glasses and tablecloths. Best-sellers included Riedel Wine Glasses, Saro Tablecloths, Portola Flatware from Lenox and festive options such as the Spode Christmas Tree Dinnerware Set.
In addition, kitchen gadgets such as immersion blenders, pressure cookers and espresso makers spiked in popularity over the Thanksgiving weekend selling period. Best sellers included the KitchenAid Dual Convection Toaster Oven and an espresso maker from Cuisinart.
Do-it-yourself shoppers got ready to tackle home improvement projects. On Black Friday, customers purchased a vanity or faucet every 13 seconds, Wayfair noted. Shoppers also purchased major kitchen appliances from GE, Samsung, LG, Cafe and Frigidaire. Big sellers included GE French-Door Refrigerator and the Delta Essa Kitchen Faucet.
With winter on the way, deck boxes and outdoor sheds proved popular as consumers consider packing up their outdoor furniture, decor and recreation items. At the same time, holiday decorations were selling, Wayfair maintained, with the company moving enough Christmas trees on Black Friday to total 845 Rockefeller Center evergreens. Space-saving flocked trees were a hit and many shoppers opted for multiple miniature trees to fill multiple corners across their homes. Life-size nutcrackers turned out to be a customer favorite, with some shoppers buying two to greet visitors.
As the holiday season proceeds, Wayfair has ongoing seasonal promotions through the end of the year, the company pointed out, including 12 Days of Markdowns and its End of Year Clearance, as well as Flash Deal Friday events throughout December.
“As we continue to drive customer and supplier loyalty, this important five-day shopping period was a success, and we are excited to see order growth improving as prices get sharper,” said Niraj Shah, CEO, co-founder and co-chairman, Wayfair, in announcing the Thanksgiving weekend activity. “In fact, leading up to Cyber Five, our November year-over-year revenue trends strengthened relative to the down 10% quarter-to-date update we shared on our recent conference call, with the Cyber Five period itself comping flat for the company. We know our customers are being more discerning right now, and we’ve been focused on partnering with our suppliers to exceed their expectations. With the pandemic period’s acute scarcity of goods behind us, the strength of our platform model is again showing through in great value, strong selection and fast delivery. We’re confident that our reinvigorated customer offering, in combination with our robust and ongoing efforts around cost control, position Wayfair to succeed in any environment.”
