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Latest research from eBay Ads finds this summer’s festival season is set to be the biggest in years, as fashion items and sustainable festival essentials top Brits’ purchasing priorities

With under a month to go until Glastonbury festival, new research from eBay Ads finds that one in five Brits (20 percent) plan to prioritise festivals over holidays this summer as festival fever grips the nation. The study indicates that this summer’s bumper festival season is set to be bigger and better than the years before.

The findings, based on a survey of UK consumers, reveal that almost three in ten (28 percent) Brits expect this festival season to be the biggest following the pandemic, with a further 22 percent saying this is the most excited they’ve been for festival season since before the pandemic hit.

Meanwhile, the findings show millennials will take centre stage in festival attendance this summer. Four in ten (38 percent) respondents aged 25-34 say they’re more inclined to attend a festival this year due to the lack of festivals from COVID-19 restrictions in previous years, and three in ten (28 percent) plan to attend multiple festivals.

And it looks like Generation X will be joining millennials in the front row, as one in five (21 percent) of those aged 45-54 say they also plan to attend at least one festival this year.

Fashion items fundamental to festival purchasing priorities

Over one in five (21 percent) consumers reveal they have already started shopping for festival items ahead of this summer’s events – and unsurprisingly, the research found that fashion items, including clothing and footwear (e.g. festival outfits, waterproofs, wellies), accessories (e.g. sunglasses, hats, jewellery) and bags (e.g. rucksack, bum bag) were consumer purchasing priorities for the coming months.

However, despite those prepared punters, eBay search data illustrates that the search for last minute looks won’t be going anywhere this year. For instance, in the week before Glastonbury 2022 (13 – 19 June), searches for ‘bucket hat’ and denim shorts’ both rose by around 30 percent when compared with the week prior (6 – 12 June). ¹

Reselling resurgence – and not just tickets

As the circular economy continues to boom, Brits’ interest in preloved festival purchases continues to rise. A quarter (24 percent) of UK consumers say they are more likely to buy second-hand festival items this year due to financial constraints, whilst over one in five (21 percent) are likely to do so in order to shop more sustainably.

Of those Brits planning to buy festival items this summer, over a third (36 percent) intend on purchasing sustainable items for festival essentials like eco-friendly glitter or solar powered lights. A further 32 percent plan to buy second-hand clothing, and a quarter (26 percent) will be looking for second-hand camping items and equipment.

Upasana Gupta, GM, eBay Ads UK, commented: “After a few years riddled with cancellations and uncertainty, festival fever is back and Brits are gearing to participate in summer festivals with a vengeance. Fashion is inevitably still a priority for many, with clothing, accessories and bags topping the list of items festival-goers are planning to buy over the next few months. But as financial constraints and sustainability concerns pique Brits’ interest in preloved items, brands and sellers alike would benefit from offering options that meet the Brit festival goers needs.”

¹Supporting data points from eBay Ads refer to search volume on ebay.co.uk.

Grosvenor has revealed the full extent of Eurovision’s positive impact on Liverpool ONE, revealing record-breaking footfall and sales results, following the hosting of the event by Liverpool this year on behalf of Ukraine.

For the week of 7th May to 13th May, which included Eurovision’s two semi-finals and final, footfall in Liverpool ONE exceeded the predicted uplift of 25 percent, actually increasing by 31.5 percent versus the same week in 2022. This compares to a 5.7 percent increase for the UK as a whole. Footfall for the entire Eurovision period (5th May to 14th May) was up 17.3 percent against the same period last year, with Liverpool ONE welcoming 680,000 visits.

The influx of visitors had an unequivocal impact on sales, with CACI, the consumer and location intelligence specialist, calculating an additional £19.9m of consumer spend in Liverpool ONE as a direct consequence of Eurovision. During the semi-finals and final week, total sales in Liverpool ONE increased by 23 percent overall versus the same time last year. Restaurants in particular excelled with a sales increase of 78 percent over the whole Eurovision period, peaking on the finals Saturday with an uplift of 87 percent compared to 2022.

Liverpool ONE’s stellar footfall and sales results over the Eurovision period proved the destination’s most successful to date in 2023, and have broken post covid-19 record figures outside of the holiday season.  Liverpool ONE’s out-performance was driven by a combination of a significant increase in tourists and visitors exploring all of the city centre as Liverpool embraced Eurovision.

According to analysis by CACI, Liverpool attracted visitors from five times more countries than usual, with the most arriving from Switzerland, the USA, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands and Ireland.  Domestic tourists also made their mark, with the average drive time to Liverpool increasing by 27 percent to 90 minutes, significantly out-performing the 39 minute average for UK cities.

CACI’s data also reveals 64 percent of people visiting the M&S Bank Arena, which hosted the Eurovision competition, also visited Liverpool ONE.  This compares to 35 percent of visitors to the Arena visiting Liverpool ONE in the same period last year.

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said: “We describe Liverpool ONE as the heart of the UK’s most sociable city, and there is no better endorsement of that than the impact of Eurovision. The whole city rose to the occasion, creating a welcome like no other, and Liverpool ONE was proud to have played its part.

“Liverpool ONE and the city were united by music, leading to a significant boost in footfall and sales and, just as importantly, a fantastic atmosphere that everyone enjoyed.”

Liverpool ONE’s support of Eurovision included hosting the official Eurovision pop-up merchandise store on Manesty’s Lane, while a number of its retailers and restaurants implemented Eurovision-themed window displays and promotions.  These were complemented by a programme of music, art and community-led events, with Liverpool ONE hosting over 100 performances and 1,000 performers on a specially created stage in Chavasse Park.

By Adam Yee, Senior Consultant and retail expert at global tech consulting firm, Slalom

The end of March marked a record high for UK supermarket inflation. It’s a stark demonstration of how the current inflationary pressures on the UK’s retail sector and beyond are making it challenging for households to afford basic necessities. Although supermarkets are doing their best to keep prices affordable, consumers are still feeling the pinch.

As a result of inflation, shoppers are having to manage their budgets wisely, and tactfully visit multiple shops each week to purchase their weekly groceries. This is not due to a lack of effort from supermarkets; instead, it highlights the importance of investment in supply chain technology and innovation to keep up with changing market conditions. By investing in their supply chain, supermarkets can optimise operations, reduce costs, and better manage their supply base, product portfolio, and supply chain systems within the UK context. It is imperative that supermarkets look to leverage and amend their supply chain through a range of practical tactics, but also by utilising automation and other future technologies wherever possible, to satisfy shoppers and win back a loyal consumer base.

The rising use of automation can free employees from manual tasks, while increasingly leveraging AI and machine learning can give retailers better insight into their supply chains and improve their demand planning process to foresee challenges and better manage them. This technology-informed insight and freeing up of manual labour gives supermarkets the means to become more agile in their planning efforts, in turn creating more efficient delivery and reducing lead times for replenishing the in demand stock.

From a practical standpoint, supermarkets could establish regional distribution hubs, enabling more efficient delivery routes and reducing lead times for inventory replenishment. This can help to minimise stockouts and ensure fresher products on the shelves as products need to travel shorter distances from regional distribution hubs to stores. These regional distribution hubs can also improve the overall resilience of a supermarket’s supply chain; in the event of disruptions, such as extreme weather events or transportation delays, having multiple distribution centres can help minimise the impact and ensure that UK supermarkets can continue to serve their customers.

Additionally, collaborating with local farmers and producers allows UK supermarkets to shorten supply chains and cut transport costs. It’s also a tactic which bolsters the local economy and reduces carbon footprint, providing forward momentum for supermarkets’ ESG goals. Similarly, a collaboration with local competitors can give supermarkets a unique edge by pooling resources and collaborating with each other on non-differentiating aspects of their supply chains, such as transportation or warehousing. For example, they might jointly use a warehouse or distribution centre, lowering the cost of rent and maintenance for each company.

Ultimately, optimising supply chains to meet consumer demand is key to enhancing both product availability and customer experience. Both are vital elements in creating a competitive environment for supermarkets to flourish and help consumers rebuild trust in the UK’s supermarket industry.

By investing in their supply chain, UK supermarkets can not only just survive, but thrive and win shoppers back, ensure they remain competitive, and provide consumers with high-quality goods at affordable prices.

• Despite the cost-of-living crisis, UK grocery sales during the week of the Coronation exceeded those recorded for the Platinum Jubilee week in 2022
• Brits celebrated the coronation with sales rocketing for cream and custard (73 percent), sparkling wine (71 percent), champagne (70 percent) and preserves (60 percent) as shoppers embraced the bank holiday weekend

Amidst financial challenges and soaring inflation, shoppers wholeheartedly embraced Coronation celebrations with UK supermarket sales topping £2.8bn¹ for the week ending 6th May 2023, exceeding the £2.7bn² recorded during the Jubilee week in June 2022, reveals new data, released today from NIQ (formerly NielsenIQ).

NIQ data shows that during the week ending 6th May 2023, UK shoppers embraced celebrating the coronation with family and friends at street parties or picnics with party accessories (+107 percent), cream and custard (+73 percent), sparkling wine (+71 percent) and champagne (+70 percent) seeing the highest category growths compared to the previous year.

Many shoppers opted to celebrate the Coronation and bank holiday weekend by creating their own teatime treats, as NIQ data reveals an uplift in sales for ingredients such as fresh dough/pastry (+56 percent), eggs (+45 percent) and sugar and sweeteners (+40 percent). There was also an increase in sales of beer, wine and spirits (+23 percent) vs the same week last year.

However, with financial challenges and soaring inflation still top of mind with consumers, NIQ data from the week ending 29th April – the week prior to the coronation – shows that frozen (16.3 percent)³ was the highest performing category in terms of sales. Brits opted to plan ahead and stock up their freezers with frozen poultry (31 percent), frozen potatoes (29 percent) and frozen chips (28 percent). This may indicate some planned cost-saving measures as shoppers sought to cut back on spend the week before in order to allow themselves flexibility to spend extra on special treats during the celebratory bank holiday weekend.

Mike Watkins, NIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “The latest figures show that despite many being financially constrained in the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers still allowed themselves to indulge in additional groceries and treats so they could celebrate the Coronation and long weekend. However, this is a balancing act – while one week they are allowing themselves to indulge, the weeks in between still indicate cost-saving measures, such as stocking up on frozen goods or ambient – shelf stable – goods that are cheaper and last longer. The Coronation has added a welcome boost to grocery sales, with many shoppers taking advantage of retailers’ discounts and other incentives.”

Image courtesy of Unsplash.

^{1 NIQ Scantrack Grocery Multiples w/e 6th May 2023 vs a year ago}

^{2 NielsenIQ Scantrack Grocery Multiples week ending 4 June 2022}

^{3 NIQ Scantrack Grocery Multiples w/e 29th April 2023 vs a year ago}

• London Designer Outlet (LDO) achieved its strongest ever April, with sales increasing 16 percent YOY and 17 percent since pre-pandemic (2019)
• Q1 sales at the LDO amounted to £19.7m, representing a YOY increase of 17 percent and making it the best first quarter on record
• Sales in the quarter were boosted by a particularly strong two week Easter holiday, the first year this period has achieved over £5m in sales
• The average transaction value (ATV) over the same period was up 14 percent on pre-pandemic levels
• The results follow on from a trajectory of five consecutive record-breaking months for the outlet centre, which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year
• The figures demonstrate the resilience and enduring success of outlets and is a reflection of how the urban outlet proposition has evolved over the last decade

London Designer Outlet (LDO), which celebrates 10 years of trading this year, has kicked off its decennial anniversary with extraordinary results – having recorded the best-ever month of April and Easter trading since it opened in 2013. This follows a striking trajectory in which the Wembley Park-based outlet centre has seen five consecutive months of record-breaking trading and the most prosperous Q1 on record.

Q1 trading at the capital’s leading premium fashion and lifestyle outlet destination reached over £19.7m – an increase of 17 percent compared to the same period in 2022 and 5 percent on pre-pandemic levels (2019). Sales were boosted by the strongest-ever Easter holiday on record, with sales in the period reaching over £5m for the first time.

In April, sales grew to £8.6m, representing a £1.2m increase on the year before and a substantial percentage increase of 16 percent compared to 2022 and 17 percent compared to pre-pandemic-levels.

The significantly strong trading is not only a demonstration of the continued appeal of outlets as consumers are faced with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with savvy deal-seekers looking for ways to get more for their money – but equally a reflection of the continued growing appeal of the LDO since opening in 2013. The LDO has seen a flurry of brands choosing to upsize and open new flagship concepts in the popular outlet centre, in tandem with Wembley Park continuing to evolve as a major mixed-use destination within London. The past decade has seen the LDO’s hyper local catchment at Wembley Park grow exponentially, with the total number of residents increasing from 1,700 in 2013 to more than 10,000 in 2023.

Over the last year, the LDO has seen a myriad of brands choosing to upsize and upgrade their offerings in the centre, bringing new flagship concepts from the likes of adidas, Nike, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger alongside the arrival of new premium brands such as The Cosmetic Company Outlet. This premiumisation of the offering is reflected in the higher average transaction value (ATV) the centre has been seeing in the last year. During Easter, the ATV was up 14 percent on pre-pandemic levels, whilst it was up 15.4 percent when looking at the first quarter of 2023 versus the same quarter in 2019.

Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “As we approach the LDO’s ten-year anniversary in October, it is encouraging to see that the latest trading results are the strongest we have ever achieved. A true demonstration of the resilience of the outlet model, as well as to the success of the work we have been doing in recent years, bringing bigger and better stores to the centre and introducing a host of new brands.”

In addition to the many new stores that have opened at the centre in recent years, many brands that opened in 2013 remain at the centre to this day, with 28 percent of the current stores having traded at the LDO for the full 10 years it has been open.

Daniel Tomkinson, General Manager of London Designer Outlet, added: “It is testament to the uniquity of the LDO that so many of our original brands still successfully trade at the centre a decade on. But, the LDO you see today is a completely different centre than the LDO of 10 years ago. Over the last decade, the outlet proposition has changed immensely – from factory-style outlets where brands were offloading overstocked and end of line goods to state-of-the-art shopping destinations where families visit not only for great deals, but for a day out experience that is much more akin to the experience customers might expect from full-price stores. This is a transformation that LDO has been at the forefront of in the UK. From being the first shopping centre to offer Dropit, to the plethora of brands that have chosen the LDO to open their first UK stores and concepts, LDO has continuously innovated to serve its guests needs. Looking at the strong results we have been achieving following the pandemic, and not least since December last year, it is clear that this transformation has resonated well with consumers who continue to visit and make bigger, better purchases with our brands.”

Managed by Realm – the UK’s specialist outlet operator – LDO offers 265,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, including 70 outlet stores, restaurants and coffee shops.

• Retailers predicted to make £244 million as 9.9 million UK shoppers stock up on food and drink to enjoy at home across the contest
• Retailers set to sell 1.4 million bottles of wine and 400,000 bottles of Prosecco
• Bars, pubs and restaurants expected to make £143 million throughout the competition
• UK consumers anticipated to spend £71 million on takeaway food

With the Eurovision Song Contest being held in the UK for the first time in 25 years, UK retailers and hospitality venues are expected to make £470 million throughout the event (9^th – 13^th May 2023), a new report has revealed.

The Eurovision Spending Report by trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, estimates 15 million consumers are set to watch the contest, either from the comfort of their own home or at in-person events, across the competition.

As 13.5 million consumers get ready to tune in from home, a 35 percent increase in participation in recent years, UK retailers are set to generate £244 million in sales as 9.9 million consumers stock up on food, drink and decorations ahead of the final on Saturday 13^th May.

The majority of sales made by retailers will come from food and drink spend – accounting for £187 million of the total profit. Breaking this down further, the equivalent of 1.4 million bottles of wine, 900,000 pints of beer, and 400,000 bottles of Prosecco are set to be sold to consumers throughout the contest. Retailers will also benefit from UK shoppers spending £13 million on decorations, £4 million on souvenirs, and £5 million on fancy-dress wear.

Total Eurovision Song Contest 2023 predicated retail spend and consumers per category

Hospitality venues will also receive a significant boost as a result of the competition being held on home soil, as £143 million is expected to be made over the course of the competition thanks to the 8.7 million consumers heading to their nearest bar, pub or restaurant. Food sales make up the majority of hospitality profit at £83 million, with a further £60 million expected to be generated through drink sales as UK consumers order 2 million pints of beer, 400,000 bottles of wine and 300,000 bottles of Prosecco.

Additionally, restaurants offering delivery or takeaway food are set to bring in £71 million across the competition as 4.8 million consumers enjoy food within their own home.

Total predicted hospitality spend and visitors for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Maureen McDonagh, SVP International & Managing Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “It’s clear the Eurovision Song Contest returning to the UK for the first time in 25 years means excitement levels are high amongst British consumers. As our data shows, this buzz will result in a busy period for many retailers and a boost in sales during the contest, in what is set to be a bumper May for the industry.

With huge numbers of Eurovision fans set to watch the contest at home with friends and family, retailers are provided with an extra opportunity to boost sales of food, drink, and decorations in the week after the King’s Coronation.

Whilst the contest is sure to be well-received by consumer and retailer alike, it’s important for retailers to remember that saving money is still front of mind for many consumers, and this month could potentially become very costly many people. Therefore, providing real value for money by offering competitive discounts, extra customer incentives, and loyalty rewards is important. Not only will this attract customers to shop with your brand, but it will also encourage them to return even after the competition has finished.”

Image courtesy of Unsplash. 

• Grocery spending continues to track below inflation, as shoppers switch to lower-priced products and seek out discounted “yellow sticker” items  
• Entertainment enjoyed a noticeable uplift, boosted by Eurovision ticket sales and families enjoying Easter half-term activities
• Demand for holidays and leisure activities sparked growth at airlines and sports & outdoor retailers
• However, both restaurants and clothing fell for the third consecutive month, as consumers cut back on discretionary spending to cope with rising household bills
• The Barclays report combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending

Consumer card spending grew just 4.3 percent year-on-year in April – less than half the latest CPIH* inflation rate of 8.9 percent but slightly higher than March (4.0 percent) – as rising costs continue to place pressure on Brits’ finances. However, the arrival of spring and the Easter Bank Holiday weekend fuelled growth at pubs and sports & outdoor retailers, while ticket sales for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool boosted the entertainment sector.

Spending on groceries increased 5.5 percent, yet this was significantly lower than the latest ONS food price inflation rate (19.2 percent) and smaller than March’s growth (7.1 percent). This comes as nearly nine in 10 shoppers (89 percent) say they are concerned about the impact of rising food prices on their household finances, while 67 percent are looking for ways to reduce the cost of their weekly shop.

Popular money saving methods adopted by these shoppers include buying discounted products nearing expiration, aka “yellow sticker” items (38 percent), and using vouchers or loyalty points to get money off at the checkout (37 percent). In addition, almost seven in 10 (69 percent) have been making product “swaps” to save money recently, with over a quarter (27 percent) shifting from supermarket own-brand premium ranges to standard or value ranges, and a similar proportion (24 percent) swapping fresh food for frozen food.

Spending on fuel dropped -9.3 percent, due to falling petrol and diesel prices, especially compared to April 2022, when they were much higher due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, public transport spending grew 11.9 percent compared to the same period last year, when fewer Brits were commuting to the office due to lingering concerns around the spread of Covid-19.

Spending on utilities saw less of a year-on-year uplift (34.4 percent) compared to March (39.3 percent), largely due to the energy price cap increase in April 2022. A year on from this energy price hike, Brits’ concern around the impact of rising household bills remains high at 90 percent, leading over half (55 percent) of Brits to reduce their discretionary spending to cope with the squeeze.

Despite this, spending on non-essential items saw higher year-on-year growth in April (4.6 percent) than in March (3.5 percent), as the Easter weekend and arrival of spring encouraged more Brits to enjoy social and outdoor activities. This led to a return to growth for sports & outdoor retailers (+0.6 percent in April vs -4.5 percent in March), as well as a boost for bars, pubs & clubs which saw a slightly larger uplift (3.7 percent) than in March (3.2 percent).

However, restaurants saw a steeper drop (-7.6 percent) than in March (-5.6 percent), while clothing remained in decline (-2.3 percent) for the third month in a row. This is likely because new clothes and accessories and eating out at restaurants (both 60 percent) are the most popular areas for cutbacks by Brits who are reducing their discretionary spending to cope with rising household bills (55 percent).

Elsewhere, spending on entertainment enjoyed a sizeable year-on-year uplift (12.0 percent), largely driven by ticket sales for concerts and shows including the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, as well as families looking for more ways to entertain their children during the Easter half-term holiday. This is in addition to demand for entertainment generally being higher now than in April 2022, when the impact of Covid-19 was still hampering the sector.

At-home entertainment and “insperiences” also saw increased demand – digital content and subscriptions saw its largest rise since September 2021 (8.6 percent), and fast food increased 9.0 percent as Brits treated themselves to a night in with a boxset and a takeaway.

Despite ongoing inflationary pressures, Brits are still keen to book holidays to look forward to later in the year, with spend on airlines rising 32.1 percent year-on-year – a slight uplift compared to March (28.5 percent).

Consumers are feeling noticeably more confident in their household finances and ability to spend on non-essential items (67 percent and 56 percent respectively), compared to last month (59 percent and 48 percent respectively). Meanwhile, optimism in the future of the UK economy has also increased to 25 percent, up two percentage points on March.

Esme Harwood, Director at Barclays, said: “The arrival of slightly warmer weather, along with the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, led to more Brits venturing outside to enjoy social and leisure activities in April.

“Entertainment received a boost, as music fans rushed to book tickets to the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Meanwhile, Brits are still searching for ways to reduce spend on essentials, so they can enjoy experiences such as holidays, shows and concerts.”

Abbas Khan, UK Economist at Barclays, said: “High inflation continues to squeeze real household disposable incomes and constrain consumption. However, this has been somewhat offset by the decline in wholesale energy prices and the price cap on household energy bills, which are contributing to an improvement in consumer confidence.

“The data suggests that pockets of the economy, particularly the leisure sector, enjoyed some renewed momentum in April. Going forward, while energy bills are set to fall from Q3, higher mortgage rates cloud the outlook as households continue to refinance at significantly higher rates through the year.”

*CPIH: Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs

Image courtesy of Unsplash.

Independent footwear retailer, Charles Clinkard, has announced it has seen an 8 percent increase in in-store sales since April 2022, as confidence in the British high street returns.

The retailer, which has been a family business since 1924 and has 44 stores nationwide, has also seen customer footfall grow by 15 percent over the past year as shopping habits return to ‘normal’ post-pandemic, indicating that there has been a clear shift in the mix of retail sales from online to in-store and that consumers are opting for the face-to-face customer service experience that only brick-and-mortar can offer.

While in-store sales and footfall have seen the biggest spike, online performance has remained steady, with Charles Clinkard seeing an increase of 3 percent in e-commerce sales during this period, placing the retailer in a strong position for the year.

It’s not only sales trends that Charles Clinkard is seeing but also a continued shift in footwear trends. The casual trainer which grew in popularity during lockdown continues to be a driving trend for the business, with Charles Clinkard seeing a 21 percent increase in trainer sales over the past 12 months. However, as consumers continue to get back to normal, dress and court shoes are also now seeing a steady resurgence as customers return to the office and attend events such as parties or weddings.

Tim Payne, Managing Director of Retail at Charles Clinkard, commented: “It’s really promising to see the resurgence of the high street over the past year as this is such an important part of our business model and is completely woven into our DNA. Over the past 99 years, we have been at the heart of the high street and understand that our customers value the personalised shopping experience that our knowledgeable staff are able to offer, so it’s great to see this return post-pandemic.

“All evidence was pointing to 2023 being a very tough year for the retail sector, with inflationary pressures leading to a reduction in household disposable income and resulting in a decrease in consumer spending. However, the year seems to have started reasonably well, and consumer confidence has been higher than expected which is great news for retail businesses.

“With a strong trading period for both in-store and e-commerce under our belt, we see this being another successful year for Charles Clinkard and we’ve budgeted sensibly to try and balance rising costs in key areas such as staffing and haven’t put too much pressure on achieving significant sales growth against the backdrop of the current economic climate. Fortunately, this should still leave us in a profitable position in a year’s time and with plenty of headroom on the balance sheet going into 2024. The main strategic objective is to work through the challenges of this year and to start 2024 all set up for growth if economic conditions are more favourable.

“It will be interesting to see in which direction the sector goes, for example, discounting is likely to still be prevalent due to many retailers being heavily stocked due to overordering when there was uncertainty over supply chain resilience post-pandemic. It will also be interesting to see how footwear trends shift throughout the year as our customers celebrate important milestones with family and friends.”

• 78 percent will watch Coronation at home 
• Three quarters of people will watch it with family only
• 55 percent of people will be trying Coronation Quiche 
• 25 percent won’t be drinking any alcohol  
• Nearly a quarter of people planning to spend £50 – £150 more than on a usual bank holiday

Brits are planning to splash out for the Coronation. Celebrations will be at home with family and an afternoon tea or picnic feast with Coronation Quiche rather than a street party.

78 percent of respondents to a survey by Vypr, said that they would be watching the historic occasion at home and three quarters said that it would be just their family getting together.

It’s quintessentially British food that we’ll be tucking into with a third choosing to have a picnic style meal and another third opting for afternoon tea, while 22 percent are going for a BBQ. The most popular foods are traditionally English such as Victoria sponge cakes, egg and cress sandwiches and pork pies. Less than 20 percent said they’d aim to make Coronation Chicken, created for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.

However, over half (55 percent) of consumers said that they would like to try King Charles III’s recipe for Coronation Quiche. The fresh taste and healthy ingredients inspired those consumers. The quiche ingredients include tarragon, spinach and broad beans and 29 percent of Brits are planning to try the new recipe themselves and a further quarter (24 percent) would love to be able to buy a pre-made version.

A quarter of Brits are planning on drinking no alcohol and almost half will only drink at home if they choose to do so. Almost two thirds of survey respondents (58 percent) said that they would not take advantage of longer opening hours for pubs and bars and a quarter (24 percent) said that they weren’t sure, suggesting it won’t be a bumper weekend for the hospitality industry.

If this sounds like a quieter way to celebrate, the money that will be spent suggests otherwise as 90 percent of Brits saying they’ll spend the same or more than they would do on a normal bank holiday weekend with almost a quarter of people (22 percent) are planning to spend between £50 and £150 more.

This will be going on special food and decorations and merchandise to celebrate, with almost two in three Brits saying they will be buying special souvenirs and decorations such as bunting, balloons, mugs, toys and clothing. 26 percent said they’d head to the supermarket, 15 percent would look at a high street retailer, and 13 percent would buy online.

Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, commented: “King Charles himself has reduced various elements of the Coronation celebrations and this looks to have been reflected in the mood of the nation with fewer street parties and lower key celebrations at home. The amount of money we’re planning to invest in these parties with our families shows that the nation is still getting behind the event and keen to support the new King but in a quieter, more family focussed way. This is potentially a reflection on the King himself and a way of bringing families together on this historic occasion.”

The survey was conducted via Vypr’s database of 65,000 consumers which was developed for businesses to understand consumer behaviour quickly.

Image courtesy of Unsplash.

Peel L&P has announced that Gloucester Quays grew its sales across the last financial year by 6 percent, in another show of strength for the premier South West outlet and dining destination.

Covering April 2022 to March 2023, the outlet has benefitted from an 8 percent uptick in retail sales, bolstered by new stores from international lifestyle retailer Timberland, and an upsized Levi’s, now their largest flagship outlet in the UK. Mixed fashion outperformed 2021/22 by 15 percent, while footwear-focused tenants saw an 11 percent growth in total, closely followed by beauty and wellbeing, and sports and outdoor clothing, both at 6 percent.

Performance in the F&B sector also continued to improve, following the announcement earlier this year of the 10.5 percent sales growth throughout the 2022 calendar year. Looking at the 2022/23 financial year, Gloucester Quays’ café brands experienced an 8 percent revenue increase, as did the bar-led venues, in a clear indication of visitors spending more leisure time at the destination.

Paul Carter, Asset Director at Peel L&P, commented: “Outlets provide a great shopping and leisure experience with a real emphasis on value for money, and the performance at Gloucester Quays over the past year shows that our catchment sees that. We have in this time delivered more options, introducing some of the best-known retailers and diversifying the food offer, all with the aim of increasing Gloucester Quays’ appeal for visitors. We are delighted to see this continued growth, and are planning on taking it even further, with new and exciting leasing additions and a bigger events calendar over the course of the next year.”

Gloucester Quays’ success over the past 12 months has been a significant driver of interest in the destination, for leading brands looking to expand their outlet offer in the South West. In this period FatFace made its return to Gloucester Quays, while renowned British retailer NEXT also re-joined with a 5,509 sq ft store having launched earlier this month. The F&B offer has also been diversified, through the opening of The Real Greek late last year, and the signing of authentic Mexican eatery El Mexicana, which will launch later this year.