Happy New Year! What a year it was for the Christmas lighting industry. During the onset of the pandemic, no one really knew what to expect. Many other suppliers including the big box stores cut back their orders last spring to take a more cautious position on demand. At Big Star Lights, our gut said “do the opposite” because the world is going to need some positivity. What’s a greater, safer way to show hope than through the medium of beautiful, colourful Christmas lights?
It was a perfect storm that saw many people taking control of their destiny by transitioning from jobs that were severely impacted by COVID to either working in or starting their own Christmas light installation businesses, to great success. For those already putting up Christmas lights professionally, most people saw increases in revenue in the neighbourhood of 40%. In our eleven years of business, we have never seen the season start so early or the demand for Christmas lights be so high.
So what caused this? The desire for happiness.
People who decorate earlier are simply tapping into the excitement of the holidays before the rest of us, which makes them generally happier. They could also be over-compensating for past disappointments in a year of COVID. Furthermore, Christmas lights became a way to express sociability in an environment where being social is currently more difficult. Research has shown that people interpret Christmas decorations on a home as a cue that the people inside are sociable. The bright lights and colours are also known to increase energy levels and boost happiness -- a form of colour therapy. Christmas decorating in general will spike dopamine, which is a feel-good hormone.
Decorations are an anchor or pathway to emotions of magic or excitement, something that became a bit of a rarity in most people’s lives this year.
What’s in store for 2021?
If Christmas lights in 2020 were a show of positivity, then 2021 will be a show of celebration. With world-wide disbursement of the vaccine on the horizon, many friends and families will be getting together for the first time in a long time during the coming holiday season and they’ll most certainly be decorating. Stores will also be competing more fiercely than ever by attracting shoppers craving the “feel before you buy” experience and creating the quintessential festive environment that on-line shopping simply can’t offer. Festivals and immersive experiences where one can surround themselves with lights will become very popular too. For this, check out our new BSL Studios where you or your clients can let imaginations run wild and create magical lighted structures of any shape and size. These pieces literally stop people in their tracks and become an Instagrammable focal point for any Christmas light display.
It can safely be said that 2021 will be another exceptional year for Christmas light installation professionals. There are no signs of demand letting up, but rather, it will increase with the resurgence of commercial installations for malls, restaurants, and hotels. We invite you to maximize your profits with our best prices of the year by participating in our 2021 Pre-Season Order Program. The order submission deadline is Feb 22, so mark your calendars, start talking to your existing and prospective clients, and plan for what’s shaping up to be another epic Christmas light installation season.
Contact us HERE to receive your pre-season order form today.