NIQ’s sales measurement solution reveals that more than £1 in every £7 spent on spirits in Britain’s On-Premise last year was generated on just 20 trading days. The figure of 14.8% represents a significant increase of 4 percentage points from 2023. These 20 biggest days of the year also accounted for nearly £1 in every £10 (9.5%) spent on beer—a year-on-year rise of 2 percentage points.
Christmas Report shows how many of these big trading days are squeezed into the festive season, including ‘Mad Friday’, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The best performing day of all in RoS terms last year was the penultimate Saturday before Christmas, which this year falls on 13 December. Public holidays, including Easter and celebrations like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are among the other calendar dates that have grown in significance in recent years.
The tilt towards big On-Premise trading days is echoed in other countries, and NIQ’s REACH’s survey of 33,000 consumers in 43 important markets reveals that a ‘fewer-but-bigger’ trend is taking hold worldwide. Moderation of alcohol intake and continued pressure on spending are also leading some consumers to decide to save their On-Premise visits for big occasions.
Ways to win in the key moments
Event-led occasions inspire consumers to diversify their choices and experiment with new categories and serves. Average category repertoires are 6% higher on these days than on routine visits, and people are 3 percentage points more likely to choose new or different drinks. Many event-led drinkers also gravitate towards more premium options, over-indexing by 6 percentage points for high quality drinks.
As well as emphasising the premium nature of brands, suppliers can also drive sales through recommendations. Consumers are 6 percentage points more likely to be influenced by bartenders when they visit for events compared to routine visits, which makes engagement programmes essential. NIQ’s Global Bartender Report has many more insights and recommendations for suppliers and operators seeking to leverage bar teams’ endorsements.
Changing consumption patterns in key moments also extend to opportunities across certain parts of the day. Understanding trading patterns and sales trends by the hour enables suppliers to make better rater of sale (RoS) forecasts across dayparts and occasions and identify the best timings for activations. NIQ’s Daypart Analytics helps drive relevance from morning to night, and identify where brands play best, or where there’s opportunity to grow.
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Charlie Mitchell, NIQ’s head of global insights and consumer research, said: “The stakes on big trading dates are higher than ever. All suppliers need to identify the big moments, understand exactly where and when their brands play best, and craft effective and better activations that cut through the noise and grab people’s attention. With the right strategies, these top days can be powerful platforms for trial, trade-up and loyalty-building.”
NIQ’s market measurement solutions help On Premise suppliers, manufacturers and operators track trading patterns throughout the biggest days of the year and drill deep into guests’ preferences. It is complemented by the REACH research service to create a 360-degree view of markets and give businesses a competitive advantage
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Contact us to unlock On-Premise beverage insights. Understand the trends, views, and opportunities to win across this crucial channel.
