TAPPING INTO THAT SUMMER STATE OF MIND

In the U.S., Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer vacation. Even though many schools haven’t let out yet, it’s the start of backyard cookouts, visits to the beach and camping trips. This also means more hot dogs, hamburgers, s’mores and pies.

But since life was turned upside down in March of this year, almost everything has changed, purchasing habits notwithstanding. To monitor the evolution of shopping behavior and the path toward a new normal, we looked at how purchasing in preparation for Memorial Day Weekend looked this year versus how it looked last year.

And the news was good.

While there were some small variations, Memorial Day 2020 looked… a whole lot like Memorial Day 2019.

As usual, this week of the year experienced an uptick in many items that are essential to the typical American summer. The category rank for insect repellent and suntan products increased almost the same amount they did in 2019. Most other categories associated with cookouts and camping increased slightly less in sales ranking than they did for the same week in 2019 – but that’s likely because they were already being purchased more this year than last year. Pie crust, pie filling and whipped cream are an exception – all experience a bigger jump than they did in 2019. And we’re here for it.

If these numbers are an indication of the type of summer to come, we expect a lot more time spent at home and outside with friends and family (albeit, socially distanced). For CPG brands planning to advertise around the upcoming July 4 and Labor Day weekends: consumers are thirsty for the traditions of summer. As you plan your campaigns, tap into this longing for the summer we all know and love. Support your consumers as they try to make the most of their festivities in this new environment.