Plaid, sequins and kitten heels on the rise in eBay fashion sales

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 23, 2018

Based on analysis of its US shoppers’ activities, eBay’s Spring Shopping Report, released this Friday, reveals which trends have translated into sales this season.

 
Both sheer and transparent fabrics, including tulle and PVC, have been experiencing an upturn in purchases recently, with 41% more transparent accessories sold on the platform in 2017 year-over-year. Nonetheless, sheer now seems to be edging transparent out, as there have been 137% more sales of sheer dresses and blouses than of transparent coats, handbags and boots since September of last year.
 
Both sequins and fringe were popular on the runway last September, but sequins seem to have won out in terms of sales, with sequined dresses and skirts racking up over three times more purchases than their fringed counterparts.

Plaid continues to perform strongly, with 3,200 more pieces sold featuring this pattern than with black & white polka dots, another perennial favorite, since September. Bold colors also picked up speed on the platform last year, yellow dresses seeing a 7% increase in sales compared to 2016, a fact linked to the popularity of “Gen-Z yellow” by eBay in a release.
 
In terms of specific pieces, eBay apparel shoppers seem to be increasingly favouring functionality, buying 20% more utility pants year-over-year between September 2017 and January 2018. During the same period, however, sales of trench coats outperformed those of more practical windbreakers by 76%.
 
Accessories sales were also put under the microscope by eBay’s report: micro purses sold 38% more in December 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, and have continued to perform well into this year, outselling top-handle bags – a current favorite among street-style fashionistas – by 2,000 pieces between September ’17 and January ’18.
 
As for eyewear, the report found that eight pairs of cat-eye sunglasses were purchased on eBay every hour last year, and the style continues to sell well, despite the growing popularity of more modern, slim models, which lagged behind their classic, feline-inspired cousins by 4,500 sales in January of this year.
 
Footwear sales have also been seeing some interesting developments on the platform over the last few months. In 2017, chunky sneaker sales increased 30% compared to the previous year but, since September, eBay apparel shoppers have been favoring slightly more formal styles, purchasing 85% more kitten heels than sneakers.
 
“On eBay, millions of fashion transactions happen each day, providing us with an exclusive glimpse at the styles real people are wearing and buzzing about right now,” commented Bradford Shellhammer, eBay's Head of Browse, Engagement & Personalization, in a release.
 
Indeed, a pair of women’s shoes is purchased every six seconds on the platform and a handbag every eleven seconds. Furthermore, in a recent study from Coresight Research, eBay claimed 16th place in a ranking of US apparel retailers’ popularity, far behind Walmart and Amazon (which topped the leader board) but ahead of Sears and Kmart.
 
Further details concerning the findings of the Spring Shopping Report can be found on the eBay website.