10. Automotive care
Car sales may be declining, but the automotive industry thrives on its aftermarket—a term used to describe the distribution of parts, chemicals, equipment, and accessories, as well as maintenance services.
via Google TrendsWhen lockdown started, getting your car serviced wasn’t as easy as it used to be. The demand for automotive care products hit record highs. The stand-out product may be ceramic coating, which maintained year-long search interest.
9. Leisurewear
In 2020, the biggest trend in fashion was that we had nowhere to go. Comfort became crucial. Leisurewear became everyday attire. Tracksuits and sweatpants started appearing on the world's most prestigious runways.
via Google TrendsSearches for sweatpants illustrate a trend that was common for leisurewear in 2020. The spring, usually down-season for leisurewear, saw more searches as lockdown began. By November 2020, 2019’s holiday peak had already been surpassed, and numbers are still climbing.
8. Houseplants
Gardening was one of the few outdoor activities that allowed for easy social distancing, so it was no surprise that it became incredibly popular this year. But even before the lockdown, people were working on building their own greenspaces at home.
via Google TrendsSearches for Houseplants peaked at the end of May in 2019, but by January 2020 search volume had already matched that peak. As the lockdown started, right in time for spring, search interest kept growing. Even in the winter, searches for houseplants maintained numbers that surpassed their peak from 2019.
7. Gaming equipment
Online gaming became more popular than ever before in 2020. In a survey from YouGov, 40% of Americans reported playing more games online during this year.[1]
via Google TrendsSearches for gaming monitors paint a good picture of how popular gaming equipment became this year. Already growing prior to 2020, search interest matched last year’s peak by April. After holding steady for spring and summer, interest skyrocketed as the holiday season approached. It’s currently twice as high as it was this time last year.
6. CBD Treats
CBD-based foods have grown rapidly over the last couple of years, owing to a widespread push towards legalization in jurisdictions across the world. In 2018, the global CBD market was valued at $4.6 billion USD and is expected to grow 22.2% annually until 2025.[2]
via Google TrendsFor CBD-based food products, 2020 was a record-setting year. The standout was CBD gummies, which like a lot of CBD products has maintained consistent search interest for the entirety of the year.
5. Wine fridge
This year, unwinding with friends at our favorite downtown bar was no longer an option. Wine fridges had been a fixture in bars and restaurants for decades, but as lock-downs started, their in-home use became more prominent.
via Google TrendsSearch interest in wine fridges had already been growing moderately, owing to their popularity among millennials, who now take up the largest share of the consumer market. As lockdowns started, search interest shot up—quickly matching last year’s peak, then growing even higher as the holidays approached.
4. Bikepacking
This spring, lock-downs seemed to hit just as the weather was getting good. Bikepacking, a new trend combining off-road mountain biking and long-distance hiking, became the perfect getaway option for socially-distanced travelers.
via Google TrendsDue to their ability to be driven on a wide range of surfaces, gravel bikes became the ideal mode of transportation for bikepacking enthusiasts. Search interest in gravel bikes skyrocketed for spring and summer. Even in fall, when bike sales usually decline, search interest in 2020 was higher than any point in 2019.
3. Cross-stitching
This year was huge for arts & crafts. Activities like painting and knitting became more popular in lock-down as people looked for screen-free ways to kill time. But the biggest beneficiary seemed to be cross-stitching.
via Google TrendsSearch interest in cross-stitch kits had largely plateaued before 2020, but in March, search interest doubled. Numbers held up in the preceding months and started growing again towards the holiday shopping season.
2. Air Fryer
Shoppers everywhere were looking for at-home alternatives to dining in their favorite restaurants, creating a huge demand for easy-to-use cooking appliances—but no appliance stood-out quite like the air fryer.
via Google TrendsSearch interest in air fryers has grown higher each year since their introduction, but in 2020 numbers reached a whole new level. Searches peaked, not once, but twice this year—first in early January as post-holiday shoppers looked for deals on new appliances and then again as the holidays approached this year.
What was the year’s BIGGEST product trend?
As 2020 wore on, we seemed to become more and more tired of staring at screens. Online gaming may have had a banner year, but when it comes to the sheer volume of units sold, they were unable to compete with the broad appeal of the classics.
1. Jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles became more popular in 2020 than they’ve been since the Great Depression. Between April and March, puzzle-sales soared to 370% year over year in just two weeks.[3]
Game manufacturer Ravensburger reported selling close to 20 puzzles per minute in 2020. In terms of units sold, puzzles were more popular this year than the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X and S combined.[4]
via Google TrendsSearch interest in jigsaw puzzles quadrupled in the last half of March 2020. Its lowest point in September was still equal to its 2019 peak. As the holiday season approached, search interest started climbing again.
It’s hard to say how long puzzles will remain popular, but already their resurgence has inspired a wave of social media content and a growing online hobby-community. Jigsaw puzzles might be old-fashioned, but in 2020, old-fashioned, low-tech fun may have been exactly what we needed.
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