With all the technology hype that surrounded retail purchases during the year it was surprising to learn that one of Myer's more popular Christmas purchases was a spread for bread or toast. Personalised Nutella (a popular chocolate/hazelnut spread) created queues in Myer stores as customers waited up to 40 minutes for their name labels to be printed and applied to the jars of tasty goodness. For many shoppers the search for a unique, inexpensive gift with universal appeal was answered by the Nutella product.
Amazon have reported that their most popular purchases for Christmas 2015 included an inexpensive vinyl record player. The Jensen unit plays old world vinyl records with a compact package that includes speakers and requires very little technical expertise to set up. Vinyl records are enjoying a revival and this player just hit the spot in 2015. AnotherAmazon winner was a 20 shot pack of Fujii film for instant print cameras. Instant cameras are also a yesterday product, having been replaced by digital cameras in recent times, but they are enjoying a revival as the uniqueness of taking a picture, and printing a hard copy on the spot, attracts younger buyers.
Both Amazon products are comparatively standalone in a niche market which may explain why they featured in the top selłing lists. However, there is clear guidance that an inexpensive product, with a unique point of difference, that has general appeal, and links to recent trends, may just be your next winner.