Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on seasonal shopping
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on seasonal shopping, October 2020
- The market
- Consumer spending on seasonal events at £1.4 billion in 2020
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- Figure 2: Estimated consumer gift spending on the spring/summer retail events in 2019 and 2020
- Consumer confidence wanes amid COVID-19
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- Figure 3: Consumer financial confidence, January 2018-August 2020
- Consumers cut back on non-essential spending
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- Figure 4: Consumers who are cutting back on non-essential spending and time-spent in store, September 24-October 1 2020
- First half of 2020 off to a rocky start due to COVID-19
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- Figure 5: Value of all retail sales (excluding fuel) at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January 2018-Aug 2020
- Online to capture Christmas spend as demand moves online
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- Figure 6: Value of all online retail sales at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January 2019-August 2020
- Companies and brands
- Advertising spend increases in 2019
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- Figure 7: Annual percentage change in total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by month, January 2019-August 2020
- Key campaigns reflect new COVID-19 reality
- Innovations help shoppers celebrate seasonal events at home
- The consumer
- Gift purchasing for seasonal events was down compared to 2019
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- Figure 8: Any gift-buying amongst consumers aged 16+, May-July 2020
- Small ticket purchases drove seasonal gifting in 2020
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- Figure 9: Products bought by consumers for Mother’s day, Father’s Day and Easter in 2020, May-July 2020
- Average spend per consumer down on 2019
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- Figure 10: Average spend by shoppers for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
- In-store still dominates seasonal purchases
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- Figure 11: How shoppers purchased gifts for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
- Supermarkets the go-to place for seasonal shopping
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- Figure 12: Where shoppers go to purchase gifts for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
- Most will buy gifts in advance for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
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- Figure 13: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day actions, May-July 2020
- Consumers celebrate Mother’s Day with a special meal at home
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- Figure 14: Mother’s Day activities in 2020, April 2020
- Mother’s and Father’s Day shoppers interested in exclusive deals for loyal customers
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- Figure 15: Interest in innovations for seasonal events In 2020, May and July 2020
- Shoppers look for long-lasting Mother’s Day gifts
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- Figure 16: Mother’s Day behaviours in 2020, April 2020
- Shoppers go for branded Easter eggs
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- Figure 17: Types of eggs purchased for Easter in 2020, May 2020
- Tesco is a favourite for Easter chocolate products
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- Figure 18: Which retailers shoppers use to purchase Easter products from in 2020, May 2020
- Concerns remain over plastic levels in Easter products
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- Figure 19: Easter behaviours in 2020, May 2020
- What we think
COVID-19 and Seasonal Shopping
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- Impact on the market
- Consumer spending down on 2019 for seasonal events
- Consumers cut back on non-essential spending
- Impact on consumers
- Small ticket items drove seasonal gifting
- Average spend down on 2019
- Significant increase in online shopping for seasonal events
- Celebrating Father’s Day virtually
- Consumers appreciate retailers who consider those who have lost a parent
- Impact on companies and brands
- Innovations aimed at reflecting COVID-19 reality
- Key campaigns focus on celebrating seasonal events from lockdown
Issues and Insights
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- How can retailers encourage spend when consumer confidence is low?
- The facts
- The implications
- Capture spend with exclusive deals for loyal customers
- Promote premium food and drink ranges with interactive dining-in experiences
- How can retailers be more inclusive at seasonal events?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Consumer gift spending down 54.1% in 2020
- Declining wage growth dampens consumer spend for seasonal events
- 37% of consumers cut back on non-essential spending
- 2021 set for more favourable conditions
Market Size and Segmentation
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- Impact of COVID-19 on seasonal shopping
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- Figure 20: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on seasonal shopping, October, 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- Consumer gift spending impacted by COVID-19
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- Figure 21: Estimated consumer gift spending on spring/summer retail events in 2019 and 2020
- Spending down on key categories in 2020
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- Figure 22: Estimated breakdown of consumer spending on gifts and other products for spring/summer retail events, 2020
Market Drivers
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- Seasonal events need to be inclusive towards an ageing population
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- Figure 23: Breakdown of trend in the age structure of the UK population, 2020-30
- Figure 24: Breakdown of trend in the age structure of the UK population, 2020-30
- Declining wage growth dampens consumer spend for seasonal events
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- Figure 25: Real wage growth - average weekly earnings vs inflation, 2016-2020
- Consumer confidence wanes amid COVID-19
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- Figure 26: Consumer financial confidence, January 2018-August 2020
- Consumers cut back on non-essential spending
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- Figure 27: Consumers who are cutting back on non-essential spending and time-spent in store, September 24-October 1 2020
Retail Sales Across the Year
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- Autumn captures largest share of retail sales
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- Figure 28: Value of all retail sales (excluding fuel) at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by season, 2019
- First half of 2020 off to a rocky start due to COVID-19
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- Figure 29: Value of all retail sales (excluding fuel) at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January 2018-August 2020
- Figure 30: Annual percentage change in all retail sales (excluding fuel) at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January 2018-August 2020
- Clothing hit hard by COVID-19 but grocery sales survive
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- Figure 31: Annual percentage change in leading category retail sales at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January-August 2020
- Spring and summer months in focus
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- Figure 32: Value of retail sales (excluding fuel) at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by spring/summer months, 2018-20
Online Retail Sales Across the Year
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- Online to capture Christmas spend as demand moves online
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- Figure 33: Value of all online retail sales at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, January 2019-August 2020
- Grocery sector benefits from demand moving online
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- Figure 34: Online retail sales as a percentage of all retail sales, by month, January 2018-August 2020
- Figure 35: Online retail sales as a percentage of all retail sales, by category, by month, January 2019-Aug 2020
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Digital channel accounts for 20% of advertising spend in 2020
- Key campaigns reflect new COVID-19 reality
- Innovations help shoppers celebrate seasonal events at home
- Retailers should innovate in areas that interest consumers
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- November captures most advertising spend in 2019
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- Figure 36: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by month, January 2019-August 2020
- Advertising spend increases in 2019
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- Figure 37: Annual percentage change in total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by all retailers, by month, January 2019-August 2020
- November has biggest share of ad spend in 2019
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- Figure 38: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure by all retailers, monthly as a % of total spending, 2019
- TV continues to be the channel of choice for advertisers in 2019…
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- Figure 39: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure by all retailers, by advertising method, 2019
- …but digital increases in 2020 as spend is directed online
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- Figure 40: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure by all retailers, by advertising method, January-August 2020
- Advertising spend for spring/summer down 46.8% in 2020
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- Figure 41: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure by all retailers during the spring and summer months March-August, 2018-20
- Key campaigns focus on celebrating seasonal events at home
- Chanel’s US Father’s Day and Mother’s Day campaign
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- Figure 42: Chanel’s Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaign, 2020
- Sainsbury’s ‘Be you- Mum (and some)’ and Father’s Day campaign
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- Figure 43: Sainsbury’s Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns, 2020
- Tesco’s Food Love Story for Father’s Day
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- Figure 44: Tesco’s Father’s Day campaign, 2020
- Bloom and Wild’s ‘Thoughtful Marketing’ campaign
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- COVID-19 launches
- Filthy Sentiments launches COVID-19-related Mothers’ Day cards
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- Figure 45: Filthy Sentiments’ COVID-19 related Mother’s Day cards, 2020
- Louis Vuitton’s #WELVMOMS e-card service
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- Figure 46: Louis Vuitton’s complimentary e-card personalisation service, 2020
- Moonpig’s blood donation card range for Mother’s Day
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- Figure 47: Moonpig’s Mother’s Day card range, 2020
- KitKat Chocolatory personalisation service
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- Figure 48: KitKat Mother’s Day personalisation service, 2020
- Waitrose donates confectionery to NHS workers
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- Figure 49: John Lewis and Waitrose donating Easter eggs to NHS workers, 2020
- Unusual shapes and sizes
- Deliveroo’s invisible Easter egg
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- Figure 50: Deliveroo’s invisible gelatine Easter eggs, 2020
- Tesco unicorn and dinosaur Mother’s Day bouquets
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- Figure 51: Tesco’s Mother’s Day flower bouquet, 2020
- Aldi launches giant Easter eggs
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- Figure 52: Aldi’s giant Easter chocolate eggs, 2020
- Waitrose X Heston Easter egg range
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- Figure 53: Heston Blumenthal’s lemon Easter egg, 2020
- Royal Mail’s dedicated Mother’s Day post-box
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- Figure 54: Royal Mail’s dedicated Mother’s Day parcel post-box, 2020
- More chocolate but less plastic in this year’s Easter eggs
- Asda’s new sustainable packaged Easer egg
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- Figure 55: Asda’s repackaged Easter eggs, 2020
- Hotel Chocolat adds dairy-free eggs to its vegan line
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- Figure 56: Hotel Chocolat’s dairy-free egg, 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Small ticket purchases drove seasonal gifting
- In-store still dominated seasonal purchases
- 9% of consumers celebrated Father’s Day ‘virtually’ in 2020
- 18% of Father’s Day shoppers would be interested in exclusive deals
- 68% of Mother’s Day shoppers appreciate retailers who consider those who have lost a parent
- 79% of Easter shoppers go for branded Easter eggs
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Consumers prioritise essentials
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- Figure 57: Consumers who are cutting back on discretionary spend, limiting time in store and shopping more online, September 24-October 1, 2020
- In-home food and drink expected to grow as consumers stay indoors
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- Figure 58: How consumers feel about attending a restaurant/bar outdoors, September 24-October 1, 2020
- Seasonal spending set to be subdued as consumers struggle financially
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- Figure 59: Consumers’ financial situation during COVID-19 pandemic, 30th July 2020 - 7th August 2020
What They Buy
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- Gift purchasing for seasonal events down compared to 2019
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- Figure 60: Any gift-buying amongst consumers aged 16+, May-July 2020
- Small ticket purchases drive seasonal gifting
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- Figure 61: Products bought by consumers for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter in 2020, May-July 2020
- Men aged 16-34 treat mothers to flowers and chocolates
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- Figure 62: Products bought by consumers for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter in 2020, by age group, May-July 2020
- Seasonal shoppers tend to buy one gift/product
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- Figure 63: Repertoire of products purchased for spring/summer events in 2020, May-July 2019
How Much They Spend
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- Average spend per consumer down on 2019
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- Figure 64: Average spend by shoppers for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
- AB consumers spend the most on seasonal gifts
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- Figure 65: Average spend by shoppers for seasonal events in 2020, by socio-economic groups, May-July 2020
How They Shop
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- In-store still dominates purchases
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- Figure 66: How shoppers purchased gifts for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
- Men prefer to shop online
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- Figure 67: How shoppers purchased gifts for seasonal events in 2020, by gender, May-July 2020
Which Retailer They Use
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- Supermarkets the go-to place for seasonal shopping
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- Figure 68: Where shoppers go to purchase gifts for seasonal events in 2020, May-July 2020
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Actions
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- Most will buy gifts in advance
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- Figure 69: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day actions, May-July 2020
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Activities
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- Consumers celebrate Mother’s Day with a special meal at home
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- Figure 70: Mother’s Day activities in 2020, April 2020
- Celebrating Father’s Day virtually
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- Figure 71: Father’s Day activities in 2020, July 2020
Interest in Innovations for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
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- Interest in exclusive deals to reward loyal customers
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- Figure 72: Interest in innovations for seasonal events in 2020, May and July 2020
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Behaviours
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- Shoppers look for long-lasting Mother’s Day gifts
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- Figure 73: Mother’s Day behaviours in 2020, April 2020
- Consumers appreciate retailers who consider those who have lost a parent
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- Figure 74: Father’s Day behaviours in 2020, July 2020
What Type of Easter Eggs They Buy
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- Shoppers go for branded Easter eggs
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- Figure 75: Types of eggs purchased for Easter in 2020, May 2020
- Easter shoppers buy one product
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- Figure 76: How many types of chocolate products were bought for Easter in 2020, May 2020
Where They Shop for Chocolate Products
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- Tesco is a favourite for Easter chocolate products
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- Figure 77: Which retailers shoppers used to purchase Easter products from in 2020, May 2020
Easter Behaviours
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- Concerns over plastic remain
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- Figure 78: Easter behaviours in 2020, May 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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