As with special occasions like Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, public holidays can attract many more people into pubs, bars and restaurants. However, the impacts of these key dates varies substantially from category to category—and they are heavily dependent on the weather. Here’s what trends across four of last year’s big Bank Holiday weekends tell us about opportunities for this Spring and Summer.
Easter Bank Holiday
The four-day Easter weekend delivered a healthy uplift in 2024, with total drinks sales up 21% by value compared to the average Friday of 2024 on Good Friday despite rainy weather. The following day brought a 5% boost. But the biggest benefits came on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, when sales soared 30% and 51% above the equivalent day’s 2024 average. Encouragingly, rate of sale (RoS) was also higher than the previous Easter weekend. It was a particularly happy holiday for the spirits category, where sales uplifted by £225 and £264 on Friday and Sunday respectively. On Monday, with the prospect of work the following day, spirits sales were more muted at an £82 uplift compared to the average Monday of 2024, but the LAD category jumped £261 as many consumers sought lower tempo occasions.
Early May Bank Holiday
The first May Bank Holiday weekend shows the big impact of the weather on drinks sales during the Spring. Friday trading was £109 behind the average Friday of 2024 as rain set in across the country. However, sunshine followed on Saturday, lifting sales by 12% compared to the annual average Saturday. Sales uplifted again on the Sunday before the bank holiday, as temperatures approached 20 degrees and drinks sales rocketed by 62%. The LAD and spirits categories both benefited, with uplifts of £552 and £459 respectively. Despite a return to rain on the Bank Holiday Monday, sales rose by 50% compared with the average Monday.
Late May Bank Holiday
The sales boost during the second Bank Holiday weekend in May again peaked on the Sunday before the occasion itself. Sunshine and temperatures of 21 degrees triggered a total drinks uplift of 62%, and the LAD (up £410) and spirits (up £354) categories shared the benefits. Soft drinks also saw a £69 uplift as families headed out to enjoy the warm weather. There were smaller but still-welcome upswings on the Saturday (up by 12%) and Monday (up by 50%).
August Bank Holiday
The last of the season’s Bank Holiday weekends typically delivers smaller uplifts to sales than earlier in the year. With wet weather setting in and some consumers still on holiday abroad, drinks sales were below the average Saturday on the Saturday preceding the bank holiday (-12%) —but they swung back up to +31% on the Sunday when the sun came out. As seen on other Bank Holidays, spirits felt the biggest boost on Sunday, with many consumers aware they had the next day off work.
*All figures are total-wet sales by value compared with the annual average of the equivalent weekday.
CGA by NIQ’s sales measurement solutions provide much more expert analysis of Bank Holiday weekend trading patterns and the impact of other key dates in the calendar, helping suppliers to plan activations and take full advantage of the opportunities. To learn more click here and contact the team.
