January is a popular month for online shopping; the sales tempt everyone in and many people want to give themselves a fresh start for the New Year. This might mean they decide to refresh their wardrobe, look after themselves better or they might even want to renovate their home.
What were eBay buyers really buying in January though? Here's what was particularly popular on the site last month.
Health and fitness
You can almost guarantee that every January sales of fitness DVDs, gym equipment and other health-related products will rise as people seek to work off all of that weight gained over Christmas. Since the December 25th, sales of juicers have increased 85 per cent and smoothie recipe books also rose in demand by 35 per cent.
Some Brits are taking a less traditional method to getting fitter this year though, as pilates and yoga gear outsold gym equipment by two to one. Home exercise equipment still remained popular though, with sales up 25 per cent in January compared to the same time last year. It's not just bodies that are being improved though, motivational book sales rocketed by 45 per cent in the new year too.
'Sherlock Holmes'
Thanks to the return of popular BBC drama 'Sherlock', sales of memorabilia of the fictional detective more than doubled last month. The books proved to be particularly sought after, with sales increasing by 71 per cent. Buyers wanted to get their hands on 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' the most, which saw sales boosted by 62 per cent compared to December.
Not surprisingly, sales of 'Sherlock' DVDs were also on the up, increasing by 45 per cent - probably because many fans wanted to refresh themselves on what happened before watching the new episodes.
'American Hustle'
It wasn't just TV shows causing a stir in January, Hollywood had an influence too, as sales of 70s items increased after the release of 'American Hustle'. Impressively, wrap dresses saw a 201 per cent rise in demand, whereas gold bangle sales rocketed by 233 per cent.
Brits seemingly wanted their homes to look like the set of 'American Hustle' too, as 75 per cent more shag pile carpets were sold in January compared to the previous month. Interest in floral wallpaper rose by a staggering 151 per cent and lava lamps made a comeback too, with sales rising by 25 per cent.
Winter Olympics
Research from Terapeak revealed that searches for items related to the 2014 Winter OIympics Games in Sochi, Russia increased during January too. Buyers were mostly looking for clothing, pins and tickets to the games as they geared up to watch the games.
Whilst the increase in health-related products isn't that surprising, it's impressive to see how big an impact the latest films and TV shows can have on sales of certain items. As an eBay seller, it's important to stay on top of what's popular, so that you can boost your sales and get as much as possible for your items. Think about the major events that are coming up next and try to tailor what you sell accordingly.