People love holidays. Holidays are not only a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but also a valuable opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones.
Throughout the whole year, people enjoy different holidays and many of them will invest in decoration items to add to the holiday spirit. From New Year to Easter, from Halloween to Christmas, consumers buy all kinds of decorations for celebrations. And this purchasing power is still growing.
Let's take Christmas alone. The global market for Christmas decorations was estimated to be worth over seven billion USD in 2023. This figure is estimated to reach nearly 10 billion USD in 2027.
Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Décor, the world's largest holiday decorating company, explained why consumers are willing to invest in holiday decorations:
The holiday season is a time where they spend money, and even though that ebbs and flows over the years, what we see is, regardless of what economic headwinds there are, people tend to cut things out, but they don’t cut back so much on the holidays.
Consequently, more businesses are involved in this market to share the cake. In this post, we will share some of the most popular holiday decoration items and common defects we've observed for your insight.
What are the most popular holiday decorations?
Holiday Lights
Power companies must be especially happy during the holiday periods because lights are an essential part of holiday celebrations. Think about the amazing Halloween decorations in your neighborhood - they are made even better with different types of lights!
There are many options to choose from, including string lights, bulb lights, LED lights, light projectors, animated and color-changing lights, and more. Consumers can use these lights to decorate both indoors and outdoors, and use different lighting products for different holidays.
With a wide range of colors and flexible shapes, mini string lights have remained one of the most popular options for holiday lighting decorations.
Christmas Trees
Being one of the most important holidays of the year, there are more than 2 billion people in over 160 countries around the world who celebrate Christmas. A Christmas tree is a must-have decoration item for this holiday.
While some people choose the traditional way to cut a tree from a choose-and-cut farm, many choose to buy an artificial tree for convenience and durability. Artificial Christmas trees are usually made of plastic, normally PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and PE (Polyethylene), and some are also fiber optic.
In recent years, tabletop Christmas tree decorations have become popular among consumers for their cute and exquisite looks. These products can be made of glass, ceramic, wood, and even paper to create a new decoration experience.
Candle & Candle Holders
Believe it or not, candles are actually quite an important decoration item for holidays and festival seasons. They are prominent in both religious and non-religious winter celebrations. Candles can set a romantic ambiance for Valentine's Day and create a spooky atmosphere for Halloween. During Christmas, the candle represents the light of Christ coming the world. Additionally, candles are essential for the Hanukkah Menorah.
Despite the traditional taper candles and jar candles, modern decorative candles come in various shapes, colors, and scents. They can be in the form of a Christmas tree with a cedar scent or a pumpkin with a sweet fruit fragrance.
Additionally, businesses have created various styles of candle holders for consumers to choose from.
Ornaments
Ornaments are some of the most popular holiday decorations, suitable for any holiday. For instance, during Christmas, there are numerous types of ornaments available, such as ball ornaments, candy canes, stars, snowflakes, and candy-themed ornaments. Additionally, you can find nutcrackers, angels, dog sculptures, Jack-O-Lanterns, skeletons, and more to celebrate various holidays.
If you want to step into the holiday decoration business, ornaments might be a good start to open your market.
Holiday Costumes
Holiday costumes technically don't fall under decorations, but it's a tradition to wear costumes during Halloween and they are indispensable for creating a Halloween atmosphere.
Parents are happy to buy costumes for their kids to go trick-or-treating. In the modern tradition, buying or making a costume and dressing up like another character is the whole point of Halloween!
Halloween is a big business that retailers cannot miss. Among this 12 billion USD industry, costumes account for one-third of it (4.1 billion USD). Further, the costume market is expected to reach 5.4 million USD by 2028.
If you are considering the costume business, don't forget to take masks, shoes, wigs, and other accessories into consideration to enhance your business. Pet costumes are becoming popular as well.
Wreaths & Garlands
Wreaths are no longer just for Christmas - they are now a popular year-round decoration. Artificial pine wreaths continue to be the most common type on the market, but there is also a growing trend in using new materials and themes for wreaths. Floral wreaths such as sunflower, jasmine, or mixed flower wreaths are currently among the top sellers.
Serving as another Christmas symbol, many consumers include on their winter holiday shopping lists. It represents the persistence of life during the harsh winter months and is often used to decorate homes with long banisters or porch rails.
Soft Decorations
As the name implies, soft decoration indicates all objects made of soft materials, dominated by interior fabrics. This can include sofa covers, pillows, table runners, blankets, upholstery, and more. Many brands now offer holiday-themed products, allowing consumers to create a coordinated holiday look. For example, people often use orange and purple table runners for Halloween and switch to red, white, or green ones for Christmas.
Hanging Streamers & Flags
Hanging streamers and flags are widely used for wall and ceiling decoration. They provide an easy way to decorate your house and create a cohesive party theme. These products are typically made of plastic, crepe paper, or fiber. The availability of various color options and affordable prices make them cost-effective holiday decorations that consumers appreciate.
Plates & Trays
Don't be surprised, many people choose to switch to matching plates during the holiday season. No matter what the style is, vintage or modern, the decorative plates serve as accents in a room and help create a holiday atmosphere. Many brands are also offering holiday limited edition collections for different holidays.
What are the common defects seen in holiday decorations?
Defective holiday decorations might affect or even ruin your customers’ mood. Nobody wants to see a broken Christmas tree or malfunctioning string light during the holiday. Hence, if you are doing the holiday decoration business, you should pay extra attention to your product quality to secure your customers' holiday experience.
Here we have summarized some common defects on holiday decoration items for your reference.
Poor Packaging
Don't miss out on packaging quality when concerning product quality. Good packaging ensures that products are well-protected and in good condition when they reach the customer. On the other hand, poor packaging may signal low product quality. If a product looks messy in its packaging, customers are unlikely to buy it.
An example of an AQF inspector checking the carton and inner packaging of a batch of products
Poor Workmanship
The most common defects found in holiday decoration items are related to poor workmanship. These defects can occur in all types of decorations and typically affect the appearance of the product. Examples of poor workmanship include scratch marks, glue marks, black dots, removable or non-removable dirt marks, and poor painting.
An example of a black dot on the surface of a bowl
Poor Assembly
Many holiday decoration items are often assembled or glued together. Poorly assembled decorations can easily fall apart and are difficult to repair. For example, the decorative balls on holiday hats, the swords held by nutcrackers, the cabins of toy trains, and the greenery branches of Christmas wreaths.
Poor Seam Strength
This kind of defect is typically seen on softline items such as costumes and tablecloths. Poor seam strength not only leads to discomfort when wearing these items, but can also result in tears, rips, or complete separation of the fabric during normal use. No one wants their costume to fall apart while attending a Halloween party or see a stocking in pieces on Christmas day.
An example of an AQF inspector checking the seam strength of a Christmas stocking
Inconsistent Size and Color
It can be confusing to consumers when they receive a product that has a size difference or color difference. This kind of defect is usually categorized as a minor defect and won't pose a safety hazard. However, it can affect your brand reputation as it might be seen as a sign of poor quality or lack of attention to detail in manufacturing. Additionally, it can be disappointing for customers who expect matching color items.
Malfunctioning Electronics
Dealing with malfunctioning small electronics during the holidays can really spoil the festive mood. Imagine the string lights on your Christmas tree failing to light up, or your carefully set-up Halloween lights refusing to work. That's a real downer. As a seller, it's important to perform on-site tests on your finished products, including internal checks, charging tests, and function tests, to ensure that your product won't be a holiday disaster.
An example of an AQF inspector checking the functionality of string light bulbs
Secure The Quality of Holiday Decoration Product With Product Inspection
In today's competitive business environment, details can make or break your business. You cannot afford to have defective products affecting your sales and reputation. That's why it's important to conduct product inspections to identify any defects before your products reach the customers.
Product inspections can be carried out either halfway through the production process or at the end of the manufacturing stage. This helps in detecting product defects early enough to allow for rework. Inspectors also perform on-site tests to gain a better understanding of the real performance of your products and to ensure their functionality.
As a professional third-party quality control company, AQF is here to assist you with your quality control goals. With over 17 years of experience in the industry, we have served customers worldwide. Our trained inspectors are well-versed not only in decoration item standards but also in various consumer product industries. Contact us today to ensure the quality, safety, performance, and customer satisfaction of your products.
