2026
9
UK Seasonal Food and Drink Market Report 2026
2026-03-25T12:01:05+00:00
REPD1731B4A_3C8E_4CB6_B31B_4A3C8EBCB655
2195
192204
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Report
en_GB
Seasonal variants targeting non-Christian celebrations are an under-utilised opportunity for brands to drive sales, as 37% of adults (61% of under-45s) have bought food/drink for these occasions, but products explicitly…
UK
Food
Drinks
simple

UK Seasonal Food and Drink Market Report 2026

"Offering accessible prices on seasonal products is crucial short-term. International twists on traditional products and single-serve formats hold strong potential."

Alice Baker, Food and Drink Analyst

Alice Baker, Food and Drink Analyst

Seasonal variants targeting non-Christian celebrations are an under-utilised opportunity for brands to drive sales, as 37% of adults (61% of under-45s) have bought food/drink for these occasions, but products explicitly linked to these celebrations are uncommon in mainstream retail.

Continued pressure on household incomes and weak consumer confidence in 2026 will support at-home celebrations. However, savvy shopping mentality will favour own-label, making it crucial for brands to justify their prices. Opportunities remain for premium products despite the income squeeze, but own-label poses strong competition here too.

Tapping into nostalgia, including through revivals of past seasonal variants, offers brands a means to leverage a key advantage they have over own-label. 62% of buyers (76% of 25-44s) choose seasonal food/drink that reminds them of their childhood.

Growth in 20-34s over 2025-30 will support sales of seasonal food/drink, as under-35s are the key seasonal shoppers. However, growth being slower than in 2020-25 means this will offer less support than before.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • The implications of consumers’ financial health and confidence for sales of seasonal food and drink through retail in 2026-27
  • Purchase of food/drink for seasonal occasions, by seasonal celebration and product type
  • Who seasonal food/drink products are bought for, including treating oneself, other household members and gifting
  • The interaction of tradition and novelty as purchase drivers for seasonal food/drink
  • Pressure felt by people to scratch-cook for seasonal occasions, and interest in cooking advice
  • Trends in seasonal food/drink launches, and opportunities for further innovation
  • Key themes in seasonal retail activations
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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for seasonal food and drink
    • Opportunities
    • Harness self-treating’s role in seasonal buying
    • Offer ‘tradition with a twist’ to win over seasonal shoppers
    • Support cooking efforts around seasonal occasions
  2. THE MARKET

    • Continuing income squeeze will favour at-home celebrations
    • Graph 1: financial wellbeing and confidence indices, 2019-26
    • Opportunities remain for premium products, but own-label offers stiff competition
    • Inflation in chocolate raises prices for seasonal products
    • Maintaining in-store visibility despite the HFSS regulations is crucial for brands
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Nine in ten adults buy seasonal food or drink
    • Seasonal occasions are an important way to engage shoppers
    • Chocolate leads amid near-universal purchase for seasonal occasions
    • Graph 2: purchase of food/drink for seasonal occasions (netted by any occasion), by product type, 2025
    • Non-Christian celebrations to grow share of food/drink sales longer term
    • Younger adults are the key seasonal buyers; no difference by financial circumstances
    • Tap into self-treating
    • Seasonal products are mainly bought for others, but self-treating is also important
    • Explore single-portion formats to appeal to people looking to treat themselves
    • Lean into the mood-boosting connotations of treating oneself
    • Offer ‘mix-and-match’ options for seasonal sharing selections
    • Put a twist on tradition to excite seasonal shoppers
    • Nostalgia plays a big role in seasonal buying, but many are open to trying something new
    • Revive seasonal variants from previous decades to appeal to nostalgic shoppers
    • Explore international flavours
    • Novelty appeals for at-home celebrations
    • Use social media to engage seasonal shoppers
    • Support cooking efforts both before and after seasonal celebrations
    • Many hosts feel under pressure; advice on using up leftovers appeals widely
    • Offer shortcut solutions for people cooking for seasonal occasions
    • Link up with leftovers
    • Use social media and apps to showcase meal suggestions
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Seasonal products gain share of food launches over 2020-25
    • Graph 3: share of food and soft/alcoholic drinks launches with a seasonal positioning, 2020-25, by broad category
    • Further activity in non-chocolate advent calendars in 2025
    • Brands and retailers bring traditional flavours to new categories
    • Seasonal products draw on wider food trends
    • Own-label continues to deploy visual flair in 2025-26
    • Mainstream brands target non-Christian celebrations
    • Brands continue with seasonal retail activations in 2025-26
    • Giveaways remain a key part of brands’ seasonal campaigns
    • Leading brands look beyond Christian celebrations in seasonal activations
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope
    • The market
    • Market drivers – price inflation in chocolate
    • Graph 4: CPI inflation for chocolate and all food, 2021-25
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – EMEA
    • UK generation groups
    • Abbreviations

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