Many changes have taken place over the past year due to Covid-19. The way people are engaging with their family and friends has changed. In America, the world is just beginning to open back up. Some states have stayed open the whole time while others have been in strict lockdowns. This has caused many individuals to feel confused about spending time with their loved ones. Is it safe? Can you still carry Covid even if you are vaccinated? These questions are on the minds of every American. But one common thread among them all (despite what they believe politically) is that each individual is yearning to connect with their loved ones after a year of being apart.

Spring brings many family holidays that will offer families to reunite sometimes for the first time in a year. We have seen a huge uptick in custom gifts for family members. The photo tile, specifically, is a really special gift for any occasion. In the US people use photos to remind them of chapters in life that bring joy. It is very popular to take photo shoots for big occasions in life, like getting engaged, married, or having a baby. Americans use these photo tile images to personalize their space and give unique gifts to their loved ones. The great thing about photo tiles is that they are popular in any season and for every age group. The tiles are durable, affordable and they can easily stick to the wall with minimal hassle. For this reason, they make a very popular gift.

When do Americans give photo tiles?

Mother’s Day & Fathers Day

Mother’s Day and Father’s day are huge events in the United States. According to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumer spending is predicted to total $28.1 billion, with approximately 83 percent of US adults are expected to celebrate the annual holiday. The reason this holiday means so much to Americans is that it is a great way to thank Mom & Dad for all that they have done to support them in life. Families get together on these days to Barbecue and celebrate together. Children give their parents gifts they have made and older children usually give their parents something very special. The photo tile is a very exciting gift for mom and dad. It allows them to showcase their family in their home and it is something they can update over time as the family grows. They can keep giving their parents new tiles as grandchildren are added to the family. Consumers plan to spend an average of $220.48 on Mother’s Day items, which is $16 more than they planned to spend last year and the highest in history.

Graduation

Graduation season is a huge deal in the US and consumers are projected to spend to reach $5.2 billion this year. Students spend 4 years earning a degree and when they finish it is a time of celebration with their family and friends. Graduation is a huge milestone for students and after the graduation ceremony families will often throw 2-3 parties for the grads. These parties are a time for the family to come together and shower the graduate with well wishes, gifts and love before they embark on their new career. Families give personalized gifts to show their support for all of the student's hard work. Schoolmates also give each other gifts during this time. Many students and families could use the photo tiles to showcase all the memories the student has had in college. College is a big deal in the US. There is a lot of US culture that is built in the 4 years at university, many students join a sorority or fraternity which are social groups. These college social groups also gift each other during this time. The personalized touch of the photo tiles would entice buyers because they are affordable but also make the recipient feel special and look back at the fond memories of their college experience.

Wedding season

Wedding season runs from about May until October in the states and is a multi billion dollar industry. With all the wedding excitement come many celebrations. It is custom to give the bride (& groom) gifts of a certain value at the engagement party ($50), bridal shower ($50) and the wedding ($100). A bridal shower is a special party for the bride to wish her well in her new marriage. They are usually put on by the aunties of the family. The aunts come together to plan a fun brunch for the bride and her friends. At this shower, the girls play fun games to celebrate the bride. They also bring her personal gifts. Photo tiles would be a special gift to give any bride, especially if they showed images of her and her fiance. Americans often have photoshoots once they get engaged. These photos are very high quality and they are images that they like to display in their homes for years to come. Giving a young bride these photos to put up in her home would make her feel very special and loved. The bride’s friends also throw her a bachelorette party. This is a fun party that serves as “the last time she will be single”. The friends decorate the house with pictures and play fun games while drinking and telling stories of the bride. And of course, the wedding day photos would be very very special to put on the custom photo tiles. XXX is spent on wedding photography annually and the high-quality photo prints are a huge market for American brides.

Baby photos

Americans LOVE showing off their children in pictures in their homes. This is one of the most common use cases of photo tiles. When a woman gets pregnant it is custom for her to design a nursery to bring her babies into the world. In this nursery, it is common to put pictures of the mama while she is pregnant. Again, Americans love getting their pictures to take professionally and with these nice photos always comes printing. According to a study done in 2021 done by IBIS world, The photography industry in the US is a $10.9 billion dollar industry and is projected to grow 2.8% yearly. Having 6-8 photo tiles with professional photos would be a very popular decoration for new moms. The great thing about the tiles is that once they are up on the walls the mom will want to keep updating the photo on certain occasions in the baby’s early life. She could print photos from the day of the birth, the baby’s 1st birthday, 1st Christmas, photos with family and other siblings. The list goes on! I have a friend who gets new photos for their wall tile collection every month! Family photos are a huge market in the US and are a great opportunity for merchants to sell the tiles.

Cultural movements

There has been much turmoil in the US over the past year. The election, social justice, and climate change have all greatly affected its citizens. Many Americans have become passionate about certain topics over the past year. With this passion comes the desire to put inspirational quotes and political photos in their homes to remind themselves and their friends what they stand for. Many many Americans are eager to buy custom designs that support the following Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights, Climate Change Awareness, famous quotes from their political idols, and more. There was a huge uptick in social justice in America last year. More and more individuals feel the pressure to conform to certain political views and display those views for their friends and family to see. The photo tile has been a popular home decoration to share their social justice views with their community.

Dorm room

“Back to School” is a common American term used when kids are going back to school in late August to September. One big milestone in a student's life is when they leave home and go to college. There have endless movies and shows made about this time. A time when a young adult is coming of age and leaving home to try life out on their own. Students often leave the state they are living in and go somewhere else in the US to get their education. When students are in their first year of University in the US they live in what is called a “dorm room”. These can hold 2-3 students and they are a fun way for the person to get to decorate their own space for the first time. It is custom to buy decorations to make your space feel like home. Now, students are spending an average of $907.22 turning their dorm rooms into small luxury suites, according to a new report by the National Retail Federation. And U.S. dorm room spending accounts for $50 billion a year. These students are away from home for the first time and it can leave them feeling homesick for their family and their friends. Photo tiles would be the most perfect addition to any dorm room. The student can look fondly on the memories from home with family and friends and be cheered up from being homesick. Annually $50 billion is spent on dorm room decorations. And specifically, photos are a very important part of the decoration process.

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