Selfie sticks, drones and wearable tech are some of the most popular search terms in online shopping.
At the beginning of 2015, several search terms have joined the ranks of “most popular” on South African online marketplace bidorbuy.co.za, which attracts a million people visiting in a month.
Bidorbuy Marketing Manager Joni Calitz said while the top spots continue to be held by the stalwarts such as smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, a number of other consumer goods have surged in popularity and may become even more trendy this year.
The most prominent among them is the selfie stick. Selfies are the self-portrait art form that has risen in popularity over the past year. The selfie stick attaches to a smartphone or a camera to allow the user to take even better and more flattering self-portraits.
Radio-controlled aircrafts have been popular on bidorbuy for years, but are now experiencing a renewed wave of fame as drones and quadcopters. Radio-controlled aircrafts are traditionally for recreational purposes, while drones are mission-oriented. In the terms of personal use, this usually means that they are equipped with a camera. For example, drones are used for taking aerial wedding photography or “dronies” – self-portraits taken from a bird eye’s view.
Another popular trend in the bidorbuy searches is wearable tech. This gained prominence in 2014 and are expected to become the most popular category in tech in 2015, according to Calitz. On bidorbuy, smartwatches and GoPro miniature “attachable” cameras head the wearables search count, closely followed by health and fitness monitors.
Other popular products that continue to surface in the top bidorbuy searches include terms such as gas stoves, solar, inverters, LED, as well as security items such as CCTV cameras.
“Due to the continued threat of blackouts, it is safe to predict that the demand for gas stoves and fridges, which surged at the end of 2014, will not abate any time soon,” Calitz said, adding: “The demand for CCTV cameras and other security equipment is also likely to remain strong”.
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