Forget New Year’s Eve celebrations, tonight (27 December) is to be the biggest night in the festive social calendar, new research by Co-op reveals nearly three-in-five UK adults (59%) believe that with Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve falling mid-week, tonight is THE night to celebrate and catch up with friends and family.
The figure increases to almost eight in ten (79%) of under 35’s, as the millennial generation make plans for tonight, dubbed ‘Celebration Saturday’.
Convenience retailer, Co-op, has been busy planning for a surge in sales, with shoppers urged to act quick if they want to be sure of ‘popping’ a bottle of Co-op’s award-winning champagne in their basket. Produced exclusively by one of the most highly esteemed Champagne houses, Co-op has today slashed the price to £15 (normally £21.75) for members to mark Celebration Saturday.
The festive season is the only time of the year Co-op sells more Prosecco than pints of milk. With around 250,000 more bottles heading into stores during the period, the retailer anticipates
purchases of Prosecco (now reduced to £6.50 for members) to average more than a bottle every second at peak times across its 2300 stores.
For those who prefer their drinks ‘on the rocks’, Co-op also anticipates selling a staggering 160 Tonnes of ice cubes between Christmas and the New Year.
For the morning after, the night before, a pigs and blankets theme continues with the bacon or sausage butty getting the day off to a sizzling start, as Co-op predicts sales of almost 8 million rashers of its 100% British bacon and 7 million sausages over the period, a 60% jump on a typical week.
Gyles Walker, Senior Buying Manager for Wine, Co-op, said: “The way Christmas has fallen this year, means the four-day break is giving many family and friends extra time to spend together, or to see those who you might not have seen on Christmas Day. Our research shows that Super Saturday is set to be a big day and night, and we are ready to welcome shoppers into our stores, which are local for everyone to get what they need to make their big night, a special night.”
How Brits plan to celebrate varies across the UK. More than four in ten UK adults (43%) believe there is ‘no place like home for the holidays’ and plan to celebrate and enjoy the evening with friends and family at home – this is led by respondents living in Belfast (58%), Plymouth (52.4%), Edinburgh (51%), Glasgow (49%) and Cardiff (48%). With those living in London most likely to visit friends (32%).
One-in-six UK adults on average intend to meet in bars or restaurants, with residents of Edinburgh (23.4%), Norwich (21%), Cardiff (20%), Sheffield (19.4%) more likely to go out to party.
Activities are not limited to the evening. Research suggests those in Manchester (13.2%), Liverpool (13%), Edinburgh (11.7%) and Nottingham (10.2%) are above the national average (8.75%) when it comes to taking in a sporting event or cheering on their favourite team.
While the extended Christmas break will see more than a quarter of us (26%) head out for outdoor activities and walks – with those in Plymouth (32.1%), Brighton (31%), Bristol (27.2%), London (27.2%) and Leeds (26.4%) ‘striding’ ahead of residents of other cities in search of fresh air and exercise to walk off the Christmas pud.
