Kijiji has anchored its first-ever holiday campaign on what might otherwise be a common sight this time of year – a lively storefront window.
Canadians have increasingly turned to the second-hand economy for gifts in recent years. As a result, the online marketplace is looking to be seen as more of a go-to holiday shopping destination, designing its homepage to look like a department store window with a family of mannequins in various scenes, like baking in a kitchen with a newly gifted stand mixer.
To make it easier for Canadians to find holiday gift ideas, the scenes are labeled with numbered icons directing users to popular categories, like furniture, puzzles, musical instruments and sporting goods.
“It’s an opportunity to bring a bit of holiday cheer, as well as that connection to a shared experience that we, as shoppers, are all familiar with,” says Natalie Cunningham, head of brand marketing at Kijiji Canada. “The excitement around that for Kijiji fans – of being able to experience that together in a unique way, from the comfort of their own home – feels like a great opportunity.”
According to Kijiji, in 2018, 82% of Canadians took part in the second-hand economy, with 2.4 billion items purchased, up by 250 million from four years earlier. The top motivation for Canadians to buy second-hand was financial: they save, on average, $723 per year from purchasing second-hand goods and earn $961 from selling.
Cunningham says the demand for second-hand products has continued this year and leading into the holidays. For example, according to Kijiji, key search terms for desks are up 102% year-over-year this year; treadmills are up 112%; and fridges are up 19%. The predominant search trends, Cunningham says, are around home furnishing, home decor and home entertainment – all of which are highlighted in Kijiji’s campaign creative.
In addition to the homepage redesign, holiday ads will appear online and on social, with the creative mimicking the digital storefront. The campaign was created by Citizen Relations and Kijiji’s internal marketing team, with the media buy also handled internally, and will run until Boxing Day.
