Shopping With Heart - Dayna Isom Johnson on Etsy's Holiday Trends

Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson joins Neil Haley to reveal the platform's biggest holiday shopping trends for 2024. As Etsy celebrates its 20th anniversary with over 5 million sellers worldwide and more than 100 million items available, Dayna emphasizes that modern shoppers are stepping away from cookie-cutter gifts in favor of personalized, meaningful items that make recipients feel truly seen. Leading the trends is "known holiday," which channels nostalgia and grandma's kitchen, with recipe-related items seeing a 60% spike in searches. Shoppers are working with Etsy sellers to transfer handwritten family recipes onto cutting boards, ceramic dishes, and tea towels, preserving family memories for generations. The human touch and creativity of Etsy sellers set the platform apart, allowing customers to find truly unique items they won't discover anywhere else. Dayna walks through additional surprising trends backed by Etsy's robust data analysis, including "supper club" for elevated entertaining with personalized wine charms and hand-blown glassware, and the unexpected "gothmas" aesthetic bringing dark, moody, and celestial themes into holiday decor through deep velvets and horoscope-inspired gifts. The whimsical "nutcracker core" trend celebrates ballet-inspired items from hair accessories to decorative pieces, while "playhouse" embraces maximum color and playful expression with cartoonish ceramics and fun accessories. Dayna explains that these trends emerge from various cultural factors including what people watch on television and world events, making each season's data both surprising and enlightening. For aspiring Etsy sellers, she emphasizes leading with creativity rather than following brand guidelines, as sellers who trust their artistic instincts often stay ahead of trends. With success looking different for everyone—from side hustles to full-fledged businesses—Etsy provides resources through channels like Etsy Success on Instagram to help sellers grow at their own pace while maintaining their unique creative voice.