Shoppers are predicted to spend £21.6bn over the festive period, according to the latest forecast from research organisation IGD. With nearly half (48%) of shoppers agreeing that food and drink is the most important part of Christmas Day, local retail has a key role to play on the 25th December, creating opportunities for people to honour annual traditions or create new ones.
While 65% are planning to have turkey this year, nearly one in 10 (9%) will opt for a vegetarian or meat alternative. Around 35% of shoppers admit to being tempted to buy certain food and groceries from adverts they’ve seen at Christmas (up from 29% in 2016) and they anticipate spending an average of £90 on their household’s main Christmas meal this year, with 33% estimating they will spend over £100.
Vanessa Henry, Shopper Insight Manager at IGD, said: “Although Christmas is very much wrapped up in tradition, we’re starting to see some new and interesting trends emerging in the run-up to the festive period. In particular, and similar to a trend we’ve seen emerging over the past year or so, there is a greater focus on vegan or vegetarian options for the main Christmas meal centrepiece.
“Growing media and social media coverage, coupled with greater investment by both retailers and suppliers in these products, means more shoppers are considering these meat-free alternatives this year.
“Although some families have unique food traditions that they stick to every year with certain foods, Christmas can also be a time to experiment with new and different products.”
