Shoppers are staggering their big Christmas shop across several months to spread the cost, according to Sainsbury’s.
According to MCA’s sister title The Grocer, the retailer said it had recorded customers spreading their Christmas grocery shop across the days, weeks and months leading up to the event, with some stocking up on festive items as early as September.
In line with the new trend, one third of Sainsbury’s shoppers began stocking up on mince pies and Christmas puddings over four months ago to help spread the cost of Christmas.
Sainsbury’s said it expected Friday 23 December to be its bumper trading day and predicted it would sell over half a million bottles of sparkling wine on what is has dubbed Fizz Friday.
For Sainsbury’s Local convenience stores, Christmas Eve is set to be the biggest day and it said croissant sales would soar by 300% as shoppers forget about their Christmas breakfast until the last minute.
“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,” said Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe. “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.”
