Sales and Marketing strategies to maximise The Christmas Revenue Opportunity
The UK Market Opportunity: Spirits by Channel
As the UK drinks industry heads into the 2025 festive season, the landscape remains both challenging and rich with opportunity. The Christmas period continues to drive disproportionate sales and brand impact across DTC, Premium Off‑Trade, and the On‑Trade, each channel playing a distinct role in both sales and equity building.
On‑Trade: Momentum and Experience
Managed venues saw strong late‑season uplift in 2024, with +4.4% YoY for the week to 28 Dec and +7.5% YoY for the week to 4 Jan (CGA by NIQ Daily Drinks Tracker).
The on‑trade contributes roughly 29% of total turnover but punches above its weight in brand equity, trial, and experiential marketing.
For drinks brands, this is the channel to create memorable serves, social content, and bartender advocacy that endures beyond OND, (October-December).
Premium Off‑Trade: Scale and Gifting
Take‑home spirits value grew +2.8% YoY (52 w/e 1 Sep 2024), though volumes softened slightly. Shoppers are seeking affordable treats and premium trade‑ups rather than deep discounts.
Retailers are receptive to value‑add activations, POS theatre, limited packs, and gifting bundles.
DTC & E‑Commerce: Data, Loyalty and Margin
UK online alcohol sales now represent £1.2–£1.3bn annually, with growth stabilised since pandemic peaks but surging at key gifting moments.
DTC offers unmatched margin control, first‑party data capture, and loyalty potential.
For brands, Christmas is the ideal time to run limited drops, gift subscriptions, and agile incentive tests.
Despite economic headwinds, festive consumption remains a cultural fixture. Consumers may buy slightly less, but they buy better—making tactical, channel‑specific marketing more important than ever.
DTC: Tactical incentives that work
The Spirited team are well versed with DTC, having worked across fast growing drinks brands in this space. Here are our top 3 recommendations to drive sales over Christmas
1) Christmas Builder Bundles- Design 3–5 ready‑made boxes optimised for different occasions and target audience segments.
2) Drive Scarcity and Exclusivity - Run 3 timed micro‑drops (e.g., 22 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec): single‑barrel, collab RTD, or festive cask finish. List‑first access for subscribers + “+1” share codes to acquire new emails.
3) Launch Gift Subscriptions - Distillery Tours, vouchers, monthly bottle + recipe cards + access to a virtual event.
4) Last‑Minute Shipping - Promise cut‑off clarity (next‑day by 3pm). Add a “printable gift certificate” download for post‑cut‑off purchases.
5) Drive User Generated Content and in turn, loyalty- Double points on bundles; photo‑for‑points (share your serve, tag brand). Spotlight the best in email/SMS.
Premium Off‑Trade: Tactical incentives that work
1) Gifting options that stand out on shelf (in category line-up)
2) Cross‑Category Pairings - for example: Whisky + dark chocolate; spiced rum + ginger biscuits; agave + chilli salt. Create co‑op shippers with recipe cards.
3) Bundle the “Big Night In” - “Christmas Movie Night” (cream liqueur + popcorn + mugs).
“Boxing Day Brunch” (bloody mary kit + celery salt + canned tomato juice).
4) Encourage Consumers to Trade‑Up - Price ladders with clear step‑ups in craft cues.
Mini 5cl bottles at till for premium trial (20cl/5cl where compliant).
On‑Trade: Tactics that work
1) Festive Signature Serves, Spiced Old Fashioned, Cranberry Paloma, Chocolate Orange Espresso Martini.
Incentive: two‑visit loyalty—collect 2 stamps across Dec, redeem a January treat (nudges repeat footfall in a soft month).
2) Team Incentives
Bartender sell‑in ladder (pins, prized tools, bar‑team bonus). Keep mechanics simple; weekly leaderboard.
3) Social‑First Experiences - 5‑minute masterclass card with a QR to a vertical video.
Encourage UGC: photo frame prop + venue handle.
Measurement: what to track
DTC: sessions → PDP add‑to‑carts → spend, impressions, reach, CPC, CTR, Paid social sessions, engaged sessions.
Off‑trade: rate of sale on festive SKUs; attach rate of minis/giftables; secondary site compliance; promo ROI.
On‑trade: cocktails per cover; promo redemption; second‑visit rate.
Brand level: share of voice (social/search), sentiment, and UGC volume.
Align data capture (consent, fields, single customer view).
If the above resonates with you, and you think your Christmas planning is a little ‘light’ - do get in touch with us. Christmas and New Year are huge commercial and brand recruitment opportunities that you wouldn’t want to miss.
Kate