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OTTO’s Christmas figures

From our series “Our customers tick like this”: Christmas is approaching and, as every year, many people are looking for the right gifts – or have already bought them? Whether early bird or last minute: we know what is often ordered at OTTO in the run-up to Christmas.

from Annika Böhm

So ticken unsere Kund*innen

The most beautiful time of the year is just around the corner

Christmas is just around the corner and, as every year, most people will be looking for the right gifts for their loved ones in the coming weeks. Online retail is playing an increasingly important role – many customers prefer to order from the comfort of their sofa instead of running from store to store in a crowded city center. But what is ordered most often at OTTO during the Christmas season and when do our customers buy their first gifts? Are they early birds or last-minute shoppers?

The best-selling items in the Christmas season 2021 

If you now think multimedia, technology products or clothing are in first place, you are mistaken. In fact, the fitted sheet “Jersey” and the 10-piece towel set “Vanessa” were among the best-selling items on otto.de in the period from December 1 to December 24, 2021. Wireless in-ear headphones came in third. 

Bowl sets were also very popular, with a 241.3 percent increase in purchases, as were fondue sets, with a 201.86 percent increase compared to the previous month.

woman looks on her phone

©Getty Images

The search for a Christmas gift 

Throughout the year, the word “Christmas gift” is searched for a few times a month on OTTO. From August onwards, however, a clear increase can be seen, which continues to grow in the coming months until December. Incidentally, gifts for women are searched for a whole 38 percent more often than gifts for men: 

Compared to last year, the number of products on otto.de that contain the word “Christmas” has increased by a whole 108 percent. Our customers have a wide choice, so everyone looking for a Christmas gift should be able to find what they are looking for. 

The top 5 search terms related to Christmas from October-December 2021 included:

  • Christmas decoration
  • Christmas balls
  • Christmas tree artificial
  • Christmas sweater ladies 
  • Christmas

When and what to shop for at Christmas time? 

Most orders in the period 10/1 to 12/31/2021 took place between 8pm and 9pm, and even then there was a peak at 8:13pm. The most visited pages via navigation: Ladies, Sale and Men. Above all, people searched for game consoles, washing machines, the latest smartphone and fully automatic coffee machines. 

In fact, customers were still shopping for Christmas decorations, Christmas trees and fairy lights on 23.12.2021. The last fairy lights ended up in the shopping cart between 11:45 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. and the last Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas tree baubles and Christmas tree decorations between 11:30 p.m. and 11:44 p.m.. 

So it pays to be present on otto.de with the right articles in the run-up to Christmas.

About the author Annika Böhm

Annika Böhm has been on board as Social Media Manager for OTTO Corporate Communications since August 2022. Here she looks after the communities of the individual channels - from Facebook to Instagram and Twitter to TikTok. She also supports the team in editorial work. Before OTTO, she worked at various advertising agencies, where she developed from a copywriter to a social media manager. Annika lives in Hamburg Niendorf, thinks Hamburg is the most beautiful city in the world, loves her two cats and her horse, and always has a hard time deciding between mountains and the sea when it comes to vacations.

Annika Böhm
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