Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket, is launching its sixth annual Christmas report to offer a unique look into how the UK plans to celebrate this year.
This year people are more excited than ever for Christmas, with 31% wanting a bigger celebration than last year. This is being driven by the nation’s love for festive food, with 30% saying Christmas food and drink has never been more important.
Much of the nation is also looking forward to a traditional Christmas with lots of nostalgic influences. Dishes such as prawn cocktail, smoked salmon and trifle are due to be on many tables, alongside the usual classics of turkey, mince pies and pigs in blankets.
Festive traditions like playing board games will also play a big part on Christmas Day, as many plan to put their phones away and prioritise family time instead.
Additionally, the report reveals the resurgence of meat on the menu, cheeseboards moving into the top three desserts, beer becoming a growing tipple of choice to pair with Christmas dinner and a Gen Z U-turn on their opinion of Brussels sprouts.
With more people planning to host at home this year and more party food tipped to be sold at Tesco, there is no denying that festive celebrations are high on the agenda. Alongside that, there’s an increase in shoppers planning to use supermarket loyalty schemes like Tesco Clubcard this year, demonstrating that the nation is still looking for simple helps for savvy shopping.
Emma Botton, group customer director at Tesco, says: “After an unpredictable summer filled with heatwaves and downpours, it’s no surprise that as a nation we’re looking forward to Christmas more than ever. It’s a time to connect with friends and family and indulge in our favourite foods.
In the sixth edition of our annual Christmas report, we reveal the current mood of the nation as we head into the festive months; looking at how we’ll be celebrating, what we’ll be eating and when we’ll be getting into the Christmas spirit. Spoiler: it’s already started in some homes”.
In response, Tesco has created a Christmas range of over a thousand products so customers will be able to enjoy nostalgic influences, brought to life through innovative flavours and reimagined classics. They’ll also be able to find nods to novelty, playful experiences and ‘little luxuries’ along the way.
Plus, to help the nation feel more Christmassy as the big day approaches, Tesco is providing shoppers with all their festive favourites and some exciting twists, with quality and great value at the heart of it all.”