Sales for Friendship Bracelets up 15,200% on eBay as Swift Mania Takes Hold of Australia
Just before 1am this morning, Taylor Swift touched down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, greeted by hundreds of adoring fans who had waited all night to catch a glimpse of the 14-time Grammy winner.
Swift, who is set to kick off her Taylor Swift | The Era’s Tour tomorrow evening, has had the country in a spin since announcing her tour would come to Australian shores last year. Over 620,000 tickets have been sold across the span of the two-city tour, with fans spending upwards of 24 hours on Ticketek trying to secure a spot at the hottest show in town.
For those who didn’t get tickets (it’s fine, I’m over it), the idea of shopping for outfits and merchandise to wear to one of the concerts is nothing but a distant fantasy. Still, for those lucky few who did manage to secure tickets, it has been all hands on deck, with the sole focus on securing the perfect attire for the night.
eBay has reported a massive uptake in searches for Taylor Swift-specific merchandise and other items like friendship bracelets and heart-shaped sunglasses in the lead-up to the tour. Friendship bracelets, in particular, made famous from a line in Swift’s song “You’re On You’re Own Kid”, have seen the most significant increase with a reported 15,200 per cent rise in sales on eBay.
“With friendship bracelets going viral on TikTok, fans are looking to jump on the trend, with sales skyrocketing,” Zannie Abbott, a spokesperson for eBay, said.
Outfit planning has dominated social media for months, with fans sharing tips and tricks to emulate famous Swift looks. Off the back of this, eBay has seen an uptick in sales of iconic wardrobe pieces, with sales for heart-shaped sunglasses up 55 per cent and cowboy hats up 45 per cent.
eBay has also reported a 190 per cent increase in sales for Taylor Swift shirts and a 61 per cent increase in vinyl records across the singer’s catalogue. “Since the tour announcement, we’ve seen fans take to eBay to show their love for the artist and flaunt their status as loyal fans,” Abbott said.
“According to global eBay research, Gen Z and Millennials lead the charge when it comes to shopping pre-loved, and we’re seeing fans increasingly head to eBay to hunt down one-of-a-kind pieces that showcase their unique sense of style and don’t break the bank,” Abbott said.
To help fans get quipped for the tour, eBay has created a dedicated page where devotees can shop for pre-loved fashion and brand-new outfits.
Taylor Swift’s first concert kicks off tomorrow night in Melbourne where she will do three shows before touching down in Sydney next week.
Source: B&T
