UK Festive Trading Concentrated Into Fewer, Bigger Moments
UK hospitality’s Christmas trading period was increasingly shaped by fewer but higher-value occasions, with performance concentrated into a small number of peak days rather than spread evenly across December, according to new data from The Oxford Partnership, using insights from Vianet’s Beverage Metrics.
The analysis shows that venues were not materially fuller over the festive period, but consumers stayed for longer, spent more per visit and traded up when the occasion felt worth it. Growth was driven by how people used hospitality once inside, rather than increases in overall footfall.
Average dwell time reached 145 minutes, up 16% year-on-year, highlighting a clear shift towards longer, more immersive festive occasions. In contrast, average occupancy sat at 63.2%, broadly flat on last year, confirming that trading gains were not driven by busier venues.
This change in behaviour supported steady, inflation-aligned growth in spend per head. Average total spend per head reached £26.37, with drink spend at £21.02, reflecting continued price sensitivity on drink-led occasions such as Christmas Eve and Mad Friday. Food spend proved more resilient, averaging£31.43, reinforcing its role in anchoring value on longer-dwell, planned visits.
Measured by average pints sold per pub, festive trading was defined by a small number of standout days. Christmas Eve emerged as the strongest volume day, while New Year’s Eve delivered one of the largest year-on-year uplifts, underlining its importance as a prioritised post-Christmas occasion. While Mad Friday remained high volume, a slight decline versus last year pointed to shorter visits and tighter consumer control. Boxing Day benefitted from longer stays and food-led socialising, supporting solid growth despite lower throughput.
Category performance mirrored these trends. Stout was the standout festive performer, benefitting from slower-paced, premium-led occasions, while premium and world lagers captured celebratory trade-up moments. In contrast, core lager and craft underperformed on high-volume days as consumers favoured familiar, recognisable choices.
Commenting on the findings, Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership, said:
“This Christmas showed a clear shift towards fewer but more meaningful occasions. Consumers are still willing to spend, but they’re increasingly selective about when they go out. Success is no longer about filling venues every day in December, it’s about winning the right moments with offers that justify longer stays and higher-value visits.”
The data highlights a structural shift in festive trading, with implications for operators, suppliers and brands alike: future success will depend less on blanket trading and more on targeting the moments that matter most.