The Goods UK – 18 December 2024
Welcome back to The Goods UK for our last edition of the year. This week, we’re chatting about how Gen Z is shaking up Christmas dinner traditions, whether “flying naked” is the antidote to rising airfares and why Sweden could be the new wine frontier.
If you’re part of the 52% of the population that can’t wait to tuck into a Brussel sprout next Wednesday, you might be pleased to hear that an 80g serving of the Christmas staple contains more vitamin C than an orange. This year’s average sprout is also expected to be 25% bigger than 2023, thanks to good growing conditions and new, hardier varieties.
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Winner, winner, Christmas dinner: Zoomers are shaking up Christmas dinner traditions, ditching festive food classics for Instagram-worthy dishes like loaded fries, Christmas dinner pizza and Christmas dinner-flavoured scones. Yet while mince pies and bread pudding may be seen as ‘outdated’, Christmas pudding is firmly back on the menu. Sales are expected to rise for the first time in 10 years, with our love for panettone inspiring younger palettes to try other fruit-based puddings for the first time.
- With nothing but your T-shirt on: Do you ‘fly naked’? Not quite as scandalous as it sounds, this latest travel trend refers to people jet setting without anything more than the clothes on their back, and whatever they can stuff into their pockets. With airfares set to hit record highs next year, savvy travellers are trying everything from ‘check-in chicken’ to only booking seats on the right-hand side of a plane to try and avoid paying unnecessary costs.
- Buy now, think later: With the average household spending £700 extra during the month of December, new research suggests that one in five Millennials and Gen Z shop weekly on social media, with 90% of purchases being ‘impulsive’. Yet despite the popularity of social commerce, there’s still some hesitancy – around 2 in 5 refuse to spend more than $50 on a single purchase due to a lack of trust.
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week it’s all about dragons, secondhand dresses and dual wedges.
- Rebel without a budget: Immortalised by James Dean in the ‘50s, white T-shirts have officially gone bougie, with one company offering bespoke versions for £160 each. Still, as T-shirts migrate to red carpets and “bespoke casual” trends rise, the debate boils down to sustainability, durability, and whether the perfect fit is worth ditching your favourite supermarket multi-pack.
- Table for two: The humble hotel restaurant has undergone a transformation in recent years, emerging as a destination in its own right. From innovative menus and bespoke cocktails to interiors designed to impress, these culinary establishments are no longer focused on attracting hotel guests, but a broader clientele including locals. The evolution is a reflection of the changing expectations of diners and the hospitality industry’s ability to adapt in a competitive market.
- Carnivore comeback: UK supermarket sales are set to exceed £13bn for first time over the four weeks of December, according to analysts. The surge has been driven by a demand for premium product lines as scratch cooking makes a comeback. Interestingly, fresh meat claimed the number one spot for fastest growing categories (with the meat-free category dipping below £500m in value).
- Pint-sized panic: With the festive party season in full swing, pubs across the country are rationing pints of Guinness amidst a national shortage. The strain on supply has been brought on by a surge of young people embracing the “splitting the G” challenge (attempting to swig enough of a pint on the first gulp that it settles in the centre of the “G” on their glass). The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) anticipates over 300 million pints will be poured in December, pumping £3.3 billion in Gross Added Value into the UK economy.
Making moves: industry changes & innovation
ICYMI, even industry icons need to reinvigorate their brand presence through unique and creative ways. Here are some movers and shakers that you should know about:
- Skipping the post-holiday blues: The days of dreading the last day of your holiday could finally be over as more companies embrace the concept of “unlimited” travel packages (for those willing to stump up the cash). Apparently inspired by the rise of digital nomads wanting to WFA, industry commentators have questioned the long-term viability of such subscription services – claiming they may be “more of a marketing gimmick than anything else”.
- Not just the home of Ikea: Sipping a glass of local wine probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when visiting Scandinavia, but this colder, northerly region is emerging as a new wine frontier. Hundreds of commercial vineyards are now dotted across Sweden and Denmark as a first generation of professional winemakers transform what was once a niche hobby into a small but flourishing industry. The shift is reflective of changing temperatures across the globe, yet these wineries still face numerous challenges, including high labour costs and strict rules on the use of chemicals.
- Seasonal hiring scrutiny: Unions have accused high-street retailers of recruiting young people through “gig” apps in the run-up to Christmas, without offering basic employment rights. Traditionally, shops have brought in agency workers who are entitled to basic rights such as holiday pay, national minimum wage and rest breaks. However, gig workers are not covered by most employment protections, because they are deemed by law to be their own boss. The news comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that the retail industry has cut over 225,000 jobs in the last five years.
For more information about FTI Strategic Communications Retail & Consumer Products sector service offerings and expertise, please contact [email protected] and [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.
©2024 FTI Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved. www.fticonsulting.com
