CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows average sales in managed venues in the crucial seven days to Saturday 28 December were 4.4% ahead of the same period in 2023. In the following week to Saturday 4 January, growth was even higher at 7.5%.
The late surge in trading followed negative numbers in the first half of December. Those weeks were blighted by storms in some parts of the country, but brighter and drier weather made it easier for people to come out to celebrate as Christmas and New Year got closer. Unsurprisingly the best performing days of the festive period were Christmas eve, which saw an uplift of 65% compared to last year, and New Years eve, out performing 2023 by 373%.
It was a particularly good final fortnight for the Long Alcoholic Drinks and wine categories. Beer sales were up by 6.9% and 14.5% in the weeks to 28 December and 4 January, while cider sales rose 3.6% and 9.8% respectively. Beer was boosted by a surge of interest in Guinness, leading to well-publicised shortages in some pubs in the run-up to Christmas.
Wine also achieved big gains of 8.4% and 13.8% in the two weeks. Growth was also solid for soft drinks at 3.7% and 11.3%. However, the late festive celebrations were not enough to revive the spirits category at the end of a challenging 2024, with sales down by 4.1% and 14.0%.
The contrasting fortunes of the main categories suggests some consumers are continuing to move away from spirits to longer serves that are perceived to offer better value for money. While these last two weeks of the year are a crucial period of uplift for both suppliers and operators, a strong strategy is essential to capitalise on opportunities during the festive break.
Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland, said: “It’s always tricky to make year-on-year comparisons at this time of year, but these numbers provide cautious confidence that the On Premise can end 2024 on a high. However, suppliers and venues will need the tailwinds of decent weather and a pick-up in consumer confidence to generate real-terms growth. With many consumers choosing longer LAD serves over short ones like shots, it’s also clear that businesses will need to provide spending-conscious consumers with full value for money to keep them coming back over Christmas.”
The Daily Drinks Tracker provides analysis of sales at managed licensed premises across Britain and is part of CGA by NIQ’s suite of research services delivering in-depth data on category, supplier and brand rate of sale performance. To learn more, click here and contact the CGA by NIQ team.
