In Santa’s sack this year? Game consoles, Lego sets and lighters for potheads

The festive season is well and truly underway, with the anticipation of spending Christmas with loved ones growing by the day. And the kids aren’t the only ones wondering what they’ll find under the Christmas tree this year. Will Santa Claus make your dreams come true? The search history of customers visiting online department store Galaxus in the national markets of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Italy and France holds a couple of clues.

Building up a storm on Christmas morning

One thing customers are searching for especially frequently is «lego». Sets such as the Hogwarts castle from Harry Potter, the Arctic research ship, the wildflower bouquet and the high-speed passenger train are highly sought-after. Ranking in 6th place is «lego technic» with its construction machinery, cars and motorcycles. It’s striking how many of the most popular sets are actually more suitable for adults than for children.

Games consoles are also in high demand, with the PlayStation 5 making two appearances in the top search rankings (2nd with «ps5» and 8th with «playstation 5»). Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch is currently experiencing another boom thanks to games like Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

Apple headphones from your mum, stoner lighter from your uncle

Apple devices appear in the top 10 three times. Once with the iPhone 15 Pro, once with the generic term «iphone», and once with the wireless AirPods headphones. Plenty of adults and young people are likely to have the US company’s gadgets at the top of their wish lists.

Then there’s an illustriously named wildcard entry to the rankings – «Bic J38». This is a product success story propelled by clever marketing. Craft and home decoration legend Martha Stewart has been advertising the lighters on social media and elsewhere alongside rapper and stoner icon Snoop Dogg. The ad campaign has apparently been successful enough for the lighters to be let loose on countless Advent candles this year. And one or two of them are bound to end up as surprise stocking fillers too.

Last but not least, «philips hue» has made it into the top 10 most frequent search queries on Galaxus yet again. The LED strips, lamps and bulbs are popular Christmas gifts, making homes cosier on dark winter nights. However, some of them are sure to be strung up before Christmas to make the house look festive for when the family comes to visit over the holidays.

What are you most looking forward to this Christmas? Do you know what’s on your loved ones’ wish lists? Do you prefer to buy your gifts online or at bricks-and-mortar stores? Let us know in the comments!