Christmas period works its magic in France’s On Premise
With the Christmas period adding some sparkle in the On Premise, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ's France Consumer Pulse Report unwraps key insights into visitation expectations, consumption habits, and drink choices.
As a result, drinks brands, suppliers and operators are empowered to deliver the merry and ensure sales and visitation levels shine during this key trading period.
Almost half of consumers plan to visit pubs, bars, restaurants or similar venues once or twice over the Christmas period mainly for food, while a third plan to visit mainly for drinks. In addition, a quarter plan on going out once or twice a week for both food-led visits and drink-led visits respectively.
In terms of where and why consumers are planning to go out in December, half are planning to get away on festive breaks inside the country. Over a third (38%) will be going out for an office Christmas party. Both cases indicate a shift in their usual visitation habits, with nightclubs, international pubs (e.g. Irish pubs/bars), hotels, and bars/late night bars and formal restaurants set to expect visitors through their doors more frequently.
Furthermore, the data reveals encouraging levels of consumer confidence, with almost half of consumers (44%) saying they’re more likely to treat themselves compared to a year ago, a third of consumers (32%) saying they’re more likely to try new flavours of drinks, and a quarter (27%) trading up to higher quality drinks.
Notably, the Report demonstrates the ongoing allure of Christmas markets, with a massive 87% of consumers planning to visit this season, a +10pp year-on-year increase for Gen Z. Overall, 32% of consumers are visiting Christmas markets more often than they usually do in December. The continuing rise of Christmas markets represents a compelling proposition for brands and suppliers hoping to share the joy.
Consumers keen to keep warm in winter are primarily opting for non-alcoholic hot drinks such as hot chocolate, tea and coffee (37%), and vin chaud (36%), followed by beer (26%). On the other hand, 13% would consider drinking alcoholic hot chocolate if it was available at a Christmas market. This indicates a clear opportunity for brands and suppliers to forge strategic partnerships with offerings to appeal to a ready-made audience.
Julien Veyron, Client Solutions Director – France,said: “The ability to grasp and adapt to consumer preferences are the keystones of sustained market relevance. So, it’s paramount for drinks brands and suppliers to understand consumer connections with diverse venues, such as Christmas markets. Similarly, building strategic alliances and crafting innovative products and campaigns are pivotal to increasing brand visibility and driving sales when consumers are at their most receptive.”
CGA by NielsenIQ’s consumer research delivers many more exclusive insights into consumer habits and preferences in France’s On Premise, helping suppliers, manufacturers and operators to craft successful strategies and gain market share. OPUS also offers bespoke research to help businesses explore specific topics, categories, channels, occasions, demographics and dives into consumers’ behaviour with granular detail and analysis of how key trends are impacting the sector.
You can download the November France On Premise Consumer Pulse Report for free here.
To learn more about CGA by NielsenIQ’s unrivalled suite of services in France and how it can help your business, please email Julien Veyron at julien.veyron@nielseniq.com.
