Party-loving Brits are as determined as ever to go out and enjoy themselves this Christmas, drinking as much as they did last year and spending more than they usually do on a night out, according to a recent survey by discovery and bookings platform DesignMyNight.
The survey, which quizzed consumers on their plans for this year’s festive season, reveals that the majority of Brits (81.4%) plan to go out over Christmas just as much, if not more, this year than they did last year with most saying they spend more on a night out over Christmas, than a normal night out, with the majority spending £50-£60 and 18.4% spending over £100.
While 55.4% of consumers admit they drink more at Christmas than they normally would, they’re not planning to cut back on the booze either – with nearly half (48.7%) not having any plans to drink less this Christmas than they did last year, particularly those aged 51-78, the baby boomers. The survey reveals them as the least likely age group to be planning to cut down their drinking.
Gen Z respondents were the only ones planning to rein in their alcohol consumption, with 15% of those aged under 27 saying they intended to drink less this Christmas than they normally do. And going out now extends to Christmas Day itself. While the survey reveals that 55.2% of people prefer a home-cooked Christmas dinner, 45% say they would consider ditching the oven gloves and eating out on Christmas Day this year, which is in line with the growing trend. In 2023.
Like staying at home on Christmas Day, it does seem the office party might be becoming a thing of the past, too. Baby boomers were the most likely to pick a night out over an office party (80%), with Gen X coming in at a close second (65%). When it comes to going out with work colleagues, the majority of respondents say they’d prefer a meal out (50.6%), while 30.5% would prefer to celebrate with drinks in a pub. A traditional office party was the choice of only 19% of respondents.
Said DesignMyNight senior marketing manager Leighanne Bent:
“It’s great to hear that going out is still high on the agenda for many this Christmas, we’ve definitely seen a growing interest in eating out on Christmas Day and we foresee even more people backing away from the turkey section of the supermarket in 2024. Christmas Day can be a stressful time when cooking at home for large groups with various dietary requirements, so booking your local pub or restaurant is a great way to offset the faff in the kitchen, still have a great meal and – more importantly, avoid the washing-up.”
