Christmas is without a doubt the biggest inspiration for massive spending out of all of the food-loving holidays. With billions spent every year, the market has shown no signs of slowing down. In 2017, UK Christmas shoppers amounted a record-breaking spend of £4.2 billion on food and drink alone. By example of that year’s 22nd of December alone seeing UK shoppers spending £747 million, it’s clear sales in the Christmas products market is seeing continued growth to it’s already-gargantuan size every year.
Due to the many parties that come with the festive cheer, expensive spirits are some of the biggest hits among Christmas products. Bases for a plethora of delectable cocktails, tipples like gin, whiskey and rum are the most sought-after drinks to rack up sales this merry season.
Veganism being further on the rise is boosting the sales of meat-free alternatives every year for Christmas dinners. The significant number of vegan consumers, currently around 600,000 estimated by The Vegan Society, will continue to shift the trend of popular products in the Christmas market over the next several years. Vegan alternatives to the standard roast will include improved sales for cauliflower or nut roasts, mushroom loafs and meat-like imitations such as the tofu turkey.
It goes without saying the traditional Christmas dinner essentials; turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and all of the other trimmings will remain the most lucrative sellers in festive food. What we’ll be seeing more of however are brands utilizing their product recipes with infusions and marinades to set their Christmas ranges apart from the rest. Garlic, pancetta, lemon, thyme, bacon coatings and even saffron are just a few examples of various flavours that operators will be infusing Christmas meats with to serve up innovative tasting experiences for their consumers.
Amongst the fierce competition for a place on the British Christmas menu’s, dessert is the most crowded in the seasonal market due to its diversity. Whilst operators merely have to make mild tweaks to make savory courses stand out, UK Christmas shoppers are more often looking for desserts with a sense of extravagance, resulting in retailers almost having to take the lead on making the most of new dining concepts entirely. The best-selling desserts are those that embody a true sense of decadence: Profiterole towers, melting chocolate domes, meringue wreaths, boozy trifles and matured Christmas puddings. All are rich and grandiose in flavour, representing the fantastic dining experiences that we all seek in the festive period.
As soon as peak temperatures of the Summer months begin to drop, consumers and operators are already planning ahead for their Christmas celebrations. Businesses, families and other large gatherings understand the best and biggest venues fill up fast, meaning they’ll be more than happy to see promotions for Christmas parties even before the end of July.
As you’re wanting to get people’s attention for as soon as they start thinking about the festive period, your deadline to start promoting for optimal success should be the start of September. Usually marking the end of Summer and a new school year, consumers soon start to look ahead to the colder seasons facing them in the coming months and any festivities that come with them.
Compared to food offerings, choosing the right tableware and decorations is just as important in capturing the right type of festive theme for your venue. If being hired by other companies to host their Christmas parties, you’ll want to ensure you’ve selected this year’s most trending decorations, wowing guests enough to help ensure their future business for next year.
Carrying over from last year, golden colours are set to continue dazzling Christmas celebrations for 2019. Sporting elegant illustrations, embosses, marbling and speckled effects, these colours instantly enthrall guests in an aesthetic of modern elegance. The sense of guaranteed luxury that comes with golden themes will be definitely make the occasion one to remember.
Traditional red and green colours are also making another strong return to festive tables and it’s not hard to understand why. The ambicultural, hand-painted textures featuring iconic foliage, stage and trees embody the nostalgia that throw us back to the sense of joy felt at every Christmas as far as we can remember.
A larger focus being taken this year is the spotlight on eco-crackers. With a preference for the environmentally friendly increasingly becoming a priority, you’ll be finding more operators swapping out crackers containing plastic gifts for those with wooden alternatives. This definitely doesn’t lesson the fun and extravagance for guests though. With joyful games and amusing prizes made of environmentally friendly materials, options like the Eco Eden Cracker is an absolute must for any manner of Christmas party.
