- Sainsbury’s predicts Friday 23rd December to be its busiest day as shoppers stock up for Christmas
London, 2016-Dec-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — A bumper trading day is predicted this Friday, as shoppers head in-store to stock up on Christmas essentials – in particular, sparkling wine. On what the retailer is dubbing “Fizz Friday”, Sainsbury’s expects to sell over half a million bottles as customers get set for celebrations, with one in four planning to enjoy bubbly with their breakfast on Christmas Day.
- Friday 23rd December predicted to be Sainsbury’s busiest day, particularly for sparkling wines
- Sainsbury’s fresh turkeys the best value by 39p/kilo
- Customers spreading the ‘big Christmas shop’ across different days, weeks and even months
- Luxurious ingredients are on the rise, with lobster, truffle and Champagne on the menu
Sainsbury’s customers are set to get the best value birds this Christmas, with the retailer’s fresh turkeys 39p/kilo less than the cheapest on the market. Sainsbury’s turkeys start at just £9 for a bird weighing up to 2.99kg, priced at £3.50/kil [1], which is enough to serve four to six people. In fact, the supermarket has never been more competitive on price: customers can expect to pay 14% less for their Christmas shop this year than two years ago.[2]
Sainsbury’s has also noticed a trend this year in customers staggering their shop, with some spreading their shop across the days, weeks and months leading up to the big event. One third of customers stock up on mince pies and Christmas pudding from as early as September to spread the cost of their Christmas treats.
Sainsbury’s has again invested in the quality of its food range and this Christmas, 25% of the retailer’s products are new or improved. Luxurious ingredients from lobster to truffle are proving popular this year, with customers choosing to treat themselves and their guests to premium products from Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Truffled Macaroni and Cheese Bites to an 18-month matured Christmas pudding, laced with cognac.
Convenience and flexibility has never been more important for customers and a record number will choose to order part of their Christmas shop online for home delivery – particularly the heavier items, like sparkling wine. But even the most devoted online shoppers like to head in-store to choose their own Christmas centrepiece to wow their guests – Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Noel Belgian Chocolate Tiffin has proved particularly popular so far.
Mike Coupe, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s Group said: “Christmas is that time of year when people want to treat themselves and their friends and family and feel really proud of the food they are serving.
We’re giving our customers a truly luxurious experience this year, with premium ingredients like lobster and truffle making an appearance across our Christmas range. But, like me, lots of people like the old classics too and focus on buying the best quality turkeys – and we’re offering them at the best value. Thanks to the dedication of our colleagues we’re well-prepared for the final week of Christmas. Our shelves are stocked with turkeys and trimmings and we’re all set for sparkling sales of wines and champagne on Friday.”
Christmas Eve is traditionally the biggest day for the retailer’s convenience stores and this year will be no exception. The most popular lines on Christmas Eve in convenience stores tend to be breakfast items, with customers forgetting the most important meal of the day until the last minute. Croissants sales are set to soar by 300%[3] with customers treating themselves to a luxury breakfast to go with their glass of Buck’s Fizz on Christmas Day.
[1] Based on midpoint of weight band. Full breakdown of turkey prices in Notes to Editors
[2] Based on Sainsbury’s internal data
[3] Sales of croissants on Christmas Eve in 2015 were three times that of the same day the previous week
Press Enquiries:
press_office@sainsburys.co.uk
020 7695 7295.
Source: Sainsbury
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