As the industry’s traditionally strongest trading period, the weeks surrounding Christmas are crucial for the On-Premise sector. Yet, with people’s habits evolving and broader societal shifts at play, fully realising this potential now requires far more than simply taking orders.
To help businesses maximise performance throughout the festive season, Rachel Weller, Commercial Leader UK & IRE, combines NIQ’s consumer and sales data to provide a comprehensive view of consumer behaviour across the British market.
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Originally published in Global Drinks Intel
The On-Premise is now fully into ivy, tinsel, and mistletoe season mode. This is traditionally the most profitable time of year for bars, pubs, and restaurants, so it can be tempting for venues and operators to assume the opportunity will take care of itself. But if businesses want to truly maximise sales – and ensure that Christmas helps offset slower periods in the months ahead – a more strategic, targeted approach can really pay off. In focus here are the insights from our research tools to support venues’ planning, exploring key channels and occasions, the main dates when people are most likely to go out, and the drinks they tend to choose.
Data from our RSM Business Tracker shows that pubs led sales performance during the latest festive period last year, as consumers favoured casual visits over formal dining and late-night venues. Total managed operators saw like-for-like sales rise by 3.2% compared to the previous December. Specifically, wet-led pubs performed particularly well, achieving growth of 5.2%, followed by pub restaurants at 4.1%. Meanwhile, restaurants (1.6%) recorded a more modest increase, while bars (1.3%) experienced the smallest uplift.
In sales terms, the overall weekly average declined slightly by 0.5% year-on-year, yet, when data are broken down by individual weeks, it becomes clear that some performed significantly better than expected. Indeed, from mid-December through the first week of January, sales recorded a steady and sustained uplift compared to the previous year: up 1.3% in the week ending 21 December, 2.5% the following week, and an impressive 11.8% in the first week of January. This suggests that while overall sales may fluctuate slightly from year to year, focusing closely on the key central weeks of the festive period can make a meaningful positive difference for hospitality venues.
As for specific days of the week, weekends remain the peak trading times during Christmas, but brands and venues should also pay attention to weekdays, depending on where key festive dates fall. These are the busiest times of the season, so activations need to be well prepared, and suppliers should be ready to offer the necessary strategic support to operators.
Seasonal Sips
Category performance is a crucial area that brands and operators should monitor closely during the festive season. Consumer preferences over Christmas often differ from the rest of the year, while also reflecting – in fact sometimes amplifying – broader trends. Last year, total wet sales reached £2,96m, up 1.4%. Most beverage categories saw value growth compared to the previous year, particularly lagers, ales, and draught (LAD), which experienced the highest increase (+2.8%) in market share. Soft drinks grew by 0.9%, while spirits rose 1.0%. Wine and champagne were the only category to see a notable decline, falling 2.3%. With the wine category showing a general downturn, this figure suggests that drinks choices over the coming Christmas period are likely to reflect broader market trends.
Looking more closely at subcategories within the top-performing beverages during the festive season, all spirits saw strong uplifts compared with the rest of the year, with the total rate of sale change over the four weeks leading up to Christmas increasing by nearly 40% versus the 2024 average. Drinks often associated with winter such as cream liqueurs, and dark spirits such as golden or dark rum, imported whiskey, brandy, and Scotch, performed particularly well, posting year-on-year sales increases.
The beer category’s performance also reflects broader consumer trends, particularly the continued popularity of dark beers and non-alcoholic/low-alcohol beers (NAB/LAB). Stout saw a rate of sale increase of nearly 50% in the four weeks leading up to Christmas compared with the 2024 average, while NAB/LAB rose 37.6%, suggesting that consumers are no longer restricting these drinks to Dry January but have incorporated them into their regular drinking habits. Other notable performers include ready-to-drink (RTD) products and cask ale. In contrast, standard lager lagged behind other LAD subcategories, with a more modest rise.
Festive visits
Our research shows that three in four consumers visited a licensed venue during the 2024 festive period, up 2pp compared to the previous period. Additionally, 34% of consumers went out more frequently during the festive period (+6pp vs their typical frequency over the year).
To evaluate whether this trend is likely to continue this year, we asked consumers why they went out more frequently after Christmas Day, as that period appeared to be particularly busy for venues. One in three said they simply had more free time, over one in four reported feeling more relaxed and less stressed, and 23% were off work. These are all very positive indicators as it is fair to expect that a similar behaviour could repeat this year, giving operators and brands more opportunities to capitalise on.
It is also particularly insightful to explore why people chose not to go out as much before Christmas Day, as this can reveal what might deter them. Over one in five said that Christmas celebrations were too busy, while 16% wanted to avoid the large holiday crowds: these consumers are seeking calm and relaxation, rather than heavy partying. Economic factors also played a role: people reported using Christmas gifts, end-of-month pay checks, and post-Christmas promotions to fund nights out. This indicates that even when treating themselves, people remain careful about every penny they spend.
When consumers do decide to go out, food-led channels remain the most popular choice. Food pubs lead the way, capturing 50% of preferences, although this represents a 2pp decline compared to the previous year. Casual dining venues come second but are gaining significant ground, up 3pp, likely because they offer that relaxed atmosphere that consumers seem to crave (that said, it is important to bear in mind that nearly one in four people still go out frequently in the two weeks before Christmas for work-related socials and parties).
Restaurants remain the fourth favourite, experiencing a slight year-on-year decline between 2023 and 2024, although our data suggest that two-thirds of consumers actually plan to visit them more in the future. Also reflecting broader trends, venues offering experiences and activities are seeing the strongest growth in visitation. Last year, Christmas markets and pop-ups were visited by a notable 28% of consumers, up 1pp from the previous festive season. Cinemas are also gaining popularity, attracting 23% of consumers, up 3pp year on year. Festivals and other experience-led venues recorded a 10% preference each, having increased by 2pp and 1pp respectively.
Festive eating and drinking
Overall, most consumers visit venues for both food and drinks, so operators and suppliers should ensure they can offer combined food-and-drink packages to drive higher spend. But people’s festive hunger and thirst can vary significantly depending on the specific day, occasion driver or period within the season. On Christmas Eve, we notice a higher interest in food-led occasions, while the weekend before Christmas week and New Year’s Eve see a stronger skew towards wet-led visits to the On-Premise. So, while operators and suppliers should cater to both food and drinks, these day-specific preferences present opportunities to maximise category mix and with-food offering sales or promote particular brands. In fact, 38% of consumers consider it important that festive drinks feature a recognised brand.
The festive season is a critical time for the On-Premise sector. As the traditionally strongest trading period of the year, it can place considerable pressure on operators, brands, and suppliers to maximise performance, adding significantly to an already highly stressful time. But this pressure can be relieved: by making decisions grounded in well-interpreted data, the Christmas season can be a rewarding celebration for all.
To Finish
NIQ’s suite of Consumer Research services and On Premise Measurement gives brands and operators an unrivalled and comprehensive view of the British On-Premise market, helping suppliers and operators explore category, channel, occasion, and brand insights to optimise sales and marketing strategies. The annual Christmas Report offers more detailed, granular data specifically focused on the busiest season of the year.
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