The Goods UK – 7 March 2025
Welcome back to The Goods UK. This week, we’re chatting how air fryers have changed Pancake Day traditions, the ultra-luxury travel boom in Switzerland, and why commuters are becoming the new battleground for businesses.
Stats of the week
- More than half of those making pancakes on Tuesday planned to swap out their frying pan for an air fryer. (The Sun)
- 420 tonnes of food donated by Greggs to FareShare and passed onto more than 1,500 charities across the UK. (The Grocer)
- 1 billion UK UberEats deliveries since launching in 2016. (Verge Magazine)
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Pancake traditions tossed out: A shift in cooking methods saw Brits reach for the air fryer this Shrove Tuesday, with more than half of pancake makers ditching traditional frying pans. Gen Z led the way, claiming the gadget allows them to make batches instead of one at a time. (The Sun) With air fryers now the third-most used appliance in UK kitchens, (Sky News) the desire for fast, energy-efficient cooking methods has not only changed our cooking habits, but created a whole new host of compatible food products to meet demand.
- Clock a good deal: It’s been a difficult time for the watch industry of late, but the opening of new pre-owned shops in London this year signals increased confidence in the second-hand market. The desire for preloved Rolexes and Vacheron Constantins is being driven by a new-generation of younger buyers who want value goods. (Financial Times) It is estimated that 80% of Gen Zs buy their first luxury watch second-hand, indicating their desire for unique and discontinued styles, value-for-money, as well as alternative investments, according to watch-trading platform Subdial. (City AM)
- Sky high spending: At a time of financial uncertainty for many, travel trend outlooks for 2025 show that holidaymakers still plan to prioritise – and spend more on – trips overseas. (Mintel) But when it comes to splashing the cash, Switzerland is experiencing an ultra-luxury travel boom. The number of five-star hotels is increasing faster than any other category in the country, complete with designer suites, gourmet restaurants and even “ski butlers”. ( BBC) The US, Gulf states and South East Asia are the biggest feeder markets, but with sky high bonuses expected in the city this year, maybe Londoners will spend theirs in the land of milk and honey. (The Standard)
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week, we’re talking about ‘ugly’ shoes, the hottest delivery bites for 2025 and a slowdown in the discounting boom.
- Discounters take a pounding: The past decade has witnessed the gradual ascent of discount chains, supercharged by the pandemic and subsequent cost of living crisis. Yet with the traditional discount proposition under threat from tax increases, these companies must now navigate a landscape where communicating on price alone isn’t enough. (The Times) This has already been seen in the grocery aisle as supermarkets have started scaling back on price matching, finding ways to differentiate their own unique value propositions rather than focus on the prices of competitors. (Grocery Gazette)
- Function triumphs form: Whether it’s dad trainers, fluffy clogs or rubber sliders, ‘ugly’ shoes have had a blistering run since 2023. The devotion of Birkenstocks and Deckers fans even meant these brands were able to sell their wares full-price amongst a deal-heavy Golden Quarter. (Financial Times) With all things Y2K seemingly back in fashion, (The Independent) and celebrities such as Rihanna embracing Gorpcore (Glamour), it’s expected that these not-so-flattering styles will maintain their stride in 2025.
- Doorbell dining: UberEats has unveiled a list of dishes it predicts will become some of hottest delivery items this year, as it celebrates its 1 billionth UK delivery. (Mail Online) While it has been a rollercoaster ride for the rapid food delivery sector in recent years, the fact that milk is the popular grocery item to order on the app only reinforces just how embedded into our lives convenience has become. (Retail Tech Innovation Hub)
Making moves: industry changes & innovation
ICYMI, industry icons are reinvigorating their brand through unique and creative ways. Here are some movers and shakers that you should know about:
- Desperate times, desperate measures: Rising levels of sobriety, particularly among Gen Z, have inspired Sainsbury’s to sell alcohol-free beers as part of its lunchtime meal deal. (Evening Standard) With UK alcohol-related deaths hitting a record high in 2023, some have praised the introduction (The Guardian), although etiquette handbook Debretts commented that “it just makes you look like someone who really wants a drink”. (The Times) With booze-free alcohol sales jumping 15% last year, it’s not so sunny in the French-wine region of Bordeaux. Export volumes have dropped by 12% in the last two years (The Telegraph), forcing producers to begin experimenting with no and low offerings. (The Drinks Business)
- Down the chute, on the commute: As more push for a return to full office work, food chains are adjusting their product and value offerings accordingly. Greggs has identified 5pm-7pm as its “sweet spot” (Retail Week), with train stations in particular driving footfall. In fact, some train companies are going as far as to include free Greggs items with tickets! (Time Out) Meanwhile, Wetherspoons has overtaken Starbucks as the nation’s fifth biggest breakfast provider, due to its sheer price-to-calorie offering. (The Times) Before-and-after work has become the new battleground, as businesses wake up – and stay up – for returning office workers.
- Pay packets get a pump: Despite the well-documented pressures on UK grocery and retail, and the subsequent cost-saving measures seen across a host of retailers, (Retail Gazette) some companies continue to recognise the critical role of in-store colleagues and have boosted hourly pay rates. M&S, for instance, unveiled its “biggest ever” £95 million investment this week, increasing rates by more than 26% since 2022. (The Independent) Elsewhere, Curry’s has committed £8 million to colleagues (Retail Gazette), and B&Q remains among the UK’s highest-paying retailers with a new 50p per-hour bump. (Retail Sector) These changes come as the government prepares its new Employment Rights Bill, which will look to strengthen protections for zero-hour workers, including guaranteeing a minimum number of hours per week. (BBC News)
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