September's Merchandising Plans & Treasury Tips

Pumpkin Cheesecake Lollipops - Set of 6 from VintageConfections

Happy ‘September” Curation Nation teammies and faithful followers! Here are the targeted merchandising points for the month of September - they are straight from Etsy’s Merchandising Desk. These specifics are what Etsy will be looking to showcase on the front page. It’s a great guideline to use to create items for your shop or for the vintage shops to be on the hunt for. When you curate Treasuries using these merchandising tips, remember to tag them with these words and themes as well.

                 

ETSY’S central merchandising will focus on autumn, Halloween, and preparing for the holidays ahead.

SEPTEMBER’S  BIRTHSTONE: Sapphire (my note: traditionally blue but sapphires come in ALL colours except red which is a ruby)

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Libra (August 24 – September 23)Virgo (September 24 – October 23)

COLORS: classic color combinations (orange, black, yellow, white, red, green, purple). Pantone’s color trend report for for fall 2011 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral. We’re also noticing interest in turquoise, rustic fall colors, jade greens and mustards.

CELEBRATIONS AND TRADITTIONS: Look for references to the activities classically surrounding Labor Day, the U.S. Tennis Open, Oktoberfest, weekend cookouts, family gatherings, references to sports, beer drinking, festivals, and German traditions.

BACK TO SCHOOL: We’ll be wrapping up back to school promotions early in the month, with a heavier focus on fashion and office gear. Think organizational essentials, gadget and computer accessories, notebooks, writing utensils, cases, book bags, backpacks, satchels, lunch carriers, and fall fashion.

HALLOWEEN: Halloween searches are in their prime right now. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes and accessories (both baby and adult), jewelry, pumpkin decorating ideas, DIY kits, treats and treat alternatives, and the darker side of Etsy. Get in the game by listing your full Halloween line now.

AUTUMN: Seasonal shift in weather, colors, and activities. Think autumn home decor, entertaining, woodland motifs and nature’s symbols. Harvest themes encompass fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty, rustic farm references, and fall food favorites. Tagging tip: “Autumn” is a more global seasonal association than the more American-based “fall” term; try including both as descriptive words.

FALL FASHION: Entering the height of 2011 fall fashion in clothing, accessories, and jewelry. More specifically, key basics, layering elements, the introduction of winter accessories and outerwear components, thick fabrics and rich leathers, autumnal tones, vintage boots and heavy-weight all-weather bags.

WEDDINGS: Coinciding with our Halloween promotions, unconventional approaches to pulling off a creative event will have their time to shine. Don’t forget to stay a step ahead for brides currently planning and shopping for 2012 winter and spring weddings.

THE HOLIDAYS: That’s right, now is the time to list your full holiday focused line. Emphasis on gift ideas, decor, and options for entertaining.  

central merchandising will focus on Back to School, Intros to Autumn, Halloween!!! (those exclamation points are mine), Wedding Season, Preserving the Summer and Outddor Activities.

While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to remember that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for spring. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

Trending Topics:

Halloween:  Celebrity references, film and pop culture reinventions, clever costuming plays on words, pet costumes, baby costumes, group options, vampire themes, folk and vintage decor, photobooth props, and the classic color combinations (orange, black, yellow, white, red, green, purple).

Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and fall’s approaching premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

Feather Hair Extensions: Still going strong.

Sports: The U.S. Open this month brings attention to athletes and tennis while the start to NFL and college football seasons brings on the football and tailgating fever.

Weddings: Handmade and Vintage variations on the wedding dress, and engagement ring along with creative invitations, save the dates, and signage on the rise.

Fashion: Plaid, polka dots, tribal and snakeskin patterns, and lace embellishments. Feathers, menswear, blazers, vests and jackets, maxi skirts, gray basics, tailored and wide leg pants, patterned leggings and opaque tights, oxfords, vintage boots.

The Local Artisanal Shop and the Speakeasy: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie. Barware of mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.

Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.

Culinary Trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.

Designer Vintage: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.

Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.

Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.

Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.

Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.

Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.

Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.

Creative gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.

Bike caddies, baskets, and creative accessories.

Shabby chic decor and accessories.

Video game inspired references.

Writable chalkboard surfaces.

Wall and laptop decals.

All things steampunk.

Vintage cameras.

Braided hair.

Mermaids.

Peacocks.

EVENTS IN AUGUST:
September is known as National Honey, Classical Music, and Self-Improvement month

August 29 – Sept 11: U.S. Tennis Open Tournament, NFL and college football seasons begin.

September 1-4: Ethical Fashion Show (a Parisian-based show featuring ethical trends and designers)

September 5: Labor Day

September 5: Back to school day for primary and secondary students (France)

September 7: Brazil’s Independence Day

September 10: Sewing Machine Day

September 11: 10th Anniversary of World Trade Center attacks

 September 11: Grandparents Day

September 12: Harvest Moon Festival, Mid Autumn Festival

September 16: Mexico’s Independence Day

September 17 – October 3: Oktoberfest

September 17- 18: Hello Etsy Summit

September 19: Talk Like a Pirate Day

September 23: Autumnal Equinox

September 25: International Rabbit Day

September 27 – October 5: Paris Fashion week

September 28 – Conficius’ birthday  September 28 – 30: Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown

September 29 – October 2: Art Forum Berlin, biggest international art show in Germany

*** Special tip: Tagging your Treasuries with a single word, or multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting your list from being found.