Golden quarter week eight: How do shoppers plan to celebrate and shop this Christmas?
24 November 2025Explore how rising costs and lingering pandemic effects will impact shopper confidence and Christmas shopping behaviour.
In recent years, shoppers have faced rising costs and lingering pandemic effects. With shopper confidence falling toward year‑end, this Christmas will be a balance between festive experiences and managing costs.
On 3rd December, we’ll be sharing our Pre-Christmas research, highlighting how shoppers are preparing for the festive period.
Will shoppers rein in their spending?
With just under half worried about the cost of Christmas, shoppers plan to rely on loyalty pricing, promotions and shopping around to help their budgets stretch further.
So What?
Make sure your products are considered to be a vital part of their celebrations this year to avoid being cut to save money.
Where will the trade-up opportunities be?
Shoppers plan to turn to trusted brands for gifting and treat-led categories, as well as an increase in eating out. More shoppers are planning multiple and away-from-home celebrations this Christmas, driven largely by higher‑income families seeking convenience and ease.
So What?
Consider the role your products play when shoppers are willing to trade up. How can you balance cost, experience and quality to be their ‘go to’?
Which channels and retailers will win?
Shoppers plan to spend more at supermarkets and food discounters, particularly in Aldi and Sainsbury’s. Cost‑conscious shoppers lean into discounters for savings, while supermarkets have responded with price cuts to reassure on value.
So What?
Showcase value messaging and highlight affordable festive ranges, to capture the spend of budget‑sensitive shoppers.
From this research, we’ve identified three key questions to shape our Post-Christmas research, where we’ll uncover how shoppers ultimately chose to celebrate.
Look out for our Christmas activations report, coming soon to Retail Analysis. This will showcase the best-in-class executions from UK retailers and highlight inspiring examples from across the globe.
Alongside this, our post-Christmas report will be shared in the New Year, where we’ll see whether shoppers do what they told us they planned to do, or whether there is an intention/action gap.
And don’t miss our webinar on 13th January, where we’ll showcase a total consumption view of Christmas alongside our Retail Analysis and Away From Home colleagues.
Want to know more? Reach out to [email protected]