CGA by NIQ’s intelligence reveals 3.4% fewer global On Premise visits vs last year, with the top 10 global trading days accounting for +5pp more of annual sales in 2024 vs 2023*. This signposts the clear need for an On Premise ‘fewer, bigger, better’ approach to the UK’s top 20 trading days and the category uplifts they can generate.
Why the key dates are so vital
There are signs of cost-of-living pressures easing and consumers regaining confidence. All the same, they’re being more selective about going out.
There’s a demonstrable a shift towards everyday, lower tempo visits, which now represent more than half (53%) of total On Premise occasions (+6pp YoY).
But it’s the event-led visits delivering the real value and where the sector is seeing:
- Occasion repertoires widening by +6% on big events
- Consumers experimenting more with +5pp trying something new
- Bartender influence spiking by +6pp
Collectively, these factors create an ideal environment for premiumisation, new product trial, and category stretch. And the UK’s top 20 trading days confirm and amplify this behaviour.
In 2024, globally, these days delivered:
- 14.8% of annual spirits sales (+4% YoY)
- 9.5% of LAD sales (+2% YoY)
This concentration emphasises the importance of aligning brand and category strategy directly to the moments which inspire consumers to spend more of their hard-earned pounds.
What the top 20 UK trading days represent in real terms
Each calendar occasion has its own distinct nuance. But four consistent patterns have emerged across the UK’s highest value days:
1 Big cultural and sporting events drive premium choices
Consumers trade up to higher quality drinks, in turn leading to uplifts in cocktails, stout, premium lager, and celebratory spirits. For example, previous analysis shows St Patrick’s Day 2024 delivered a £152 drinks sales uplift per venue vs the annual average, powered by stout (+£206 vs average Sunday) and premium whiskey.
2. The festive season remains the dominant trading period
Christmas Eve, Mad Friday, and New Year’s Eve reign supreme. Spirits categories like vodka, rum, and cream liqueurs overperformed in December 2024, driven by short serve rituals and familiar favourites like Baby Guinness. Stout and premium lager were standout LAD performers.
3. Halloween is an early accelerator
Halloween presents greater opportunities for seasonal cocktails, themed activations, and engagement with younger consumers, especially with a £154 drinks sales uplift per venue vs the annual average, and falling at the weekend in 2025 and 2026.
4. Routine visits still build volume
It’s evident key dates deliver value. Yet routine visits still make up over half of all On Premise occasions, when familiarity, trust, and value are essentials.
This calls for drinks brands, suppliers and operators to show up consistently, both before and after peak trading days, to secure repeat visits and occasion-based consumption.
How suppliers and operators can optimise these occasions
How can key industry stakeholders ensure they’re squeezing every last drop from these key dates?
- Designing ‘fewer, bigger, better’ activations
Upgrade high volume occasions with creative, disruptive experiences, such as tailored serves and promotions of the drinks and categories each event is and can be associated with. For example, longer serves for sporting events, and cocktails and cream liqueurs for festive gatherings.
- Harnessing bartender advocacy
Bartender training is integral for exerting influence on event-driven visits, with 56% of consumers saying they enjoy being educated by bartenders, and 58% willing to pay more for a better drink.
Correspondingly, collaboration between drinks supplier and operators on training, ritual development and signature serves raises impact and can drive sales across the category mix.
- Using data to align category strategy with consumer intent
Leverage sales, behavioural and outlet level insights to help optimise category strategies across the On Premise calendar and pinpoint fundamentals such as:
- Which categories over-index on each event
- What motivates consumers to visit and where they visit
- Where suppliers and operators should deploy resources and stocking listings
This helps ensure budgets are invested wisely on the high value dates with the greatest propensity to deliver notable returns.
CGA by NIQ’s UK and Ireland Commercial Leader Rachel Weller said:“We see the On Premise at its most powerful when suppliers and operators are working from the same playbookto align with themoments that mean the most to consumers. To this end, the top trading days are compelling windows of opportunity to further consolidate and develop these collaborations. Because these key days are accelerators of longer-term brand equity, category growth, and consumer loyalty. And their impact reaches far beyond the day itself when occasions really land.”
CCGA by NIQ provides a best-in-class suite of research to help On Premise stakeholders understand the latest sales trends and consumer engagement in the market, delivering in-depth analysis of channels, occasions, segments, pricing and much more, with bespoke brand level views for supporting individual strategies.
To discover how your brand is performing across the top 20 UK dates, and how CGA by NIQ’s On Premise sales measurement and consumer insights can support your winning strategies into 2026, contact the CGA team.
