According to Ebay, this weekend is the starting gun for Bank holiday spending and a huge opportunity for brands to grab share of wallet, as consumers shop online for DIY and entertainment items a week early.
The findings come from an insight released today by Ebay Advertising, which reports that sports and DIY categories that see the biggest uplift.

Seven days before Easter Sunday last year, searches on www.ebay.co.uk in the 'home, furniture & DIY category rose by 10%, as organised shoppers prepared to hone their home environment. And consumers were also planning to be busy in the garden, with the same Sunday registering the month's highest number of searches for "planters" on eBay.co.uk.

In addition, searches in the sporting goods category during the same period increased by 16% - a significant rise for this high-traffic category.

Ebay Advertising explained there are further opportunities for brands to maximise share of wallet following the "summer switch" in consumer spending.

It's not just in the run up to Easter that retailers and brands have the chance to tempt these "seven-day shoppers," says the company, but during May too.

On Sunday, May 17, 2014 - the Sunday before spring Bank holiday - there was a 60% jump in searches for "dust sheets," as consumers invested in the equipment for their spring DIY stints.

On the same day, there was an uplift of almost a fifth in searches for "paint roller," in addition to a 40% spike in searches for "garden furniture."

In addition to being front and centre for shoppers planning their Bank holidays in advance, retailers and brands shouldn't forget about the sizable proportion of consumers that always leave it until the very last minute, says Ebay Advertising.

In the final two days before Good Friday last year, there was a search every minute for "board game" on eBay.co.uk, coinciding with the news that Easter Sunday and Easter Monday would bring unsettled weather.

This is likely to reflect parents' scramble to entertain the whole family on a rainy day and demonstrates the potential rewards for brands that are attentive to the long-range weather forecast.

The method of searching for products online is also worth noting. "A significant group of consumers use the bonus day of Bank holiday Monday to fit in an extra shopping spree, but they're not about to sacrifice the chance to get out and about to do so", says Ebay.

On all three of the bank holiday Mondays in April and May, searches on Android, iphone and ipad platforms outstripped those via desktop on ebay.co.uk, highlighting the need for brands to have a presence across devices.
Ebay AdvertisingUK director Phuong Nguyen commented: "The Easter Bank Holiday signals the start of a lucrative time for brands, as shoppers look forward to having extra days to revamp their homes and gardens and spend time with their families.

"As these findings show, there's no 'one size fits all' approach to engaging consumers during this period, and brands must leverage the observed insight that online advertising can offer to serve shoppers with the right message at the right time - on whichever device they choose to shop on."