Christmas in July is one aspect of the retail landscape I still have trouble getting my head around. While I appreciate retailers’ need to nail down the all-important Christmas range well in advance, and tempt consumers with a dizzying array of products during the most crucial trading period of the year – does it have to start at the height of summer? (Perhaps, more than anything, it has to do with the lead-in times of the monthly magazines, which are already planning their Christmas editions.)
Last week’s sweltering weather was the backdrop to the first few retailers rolling out their Christmas wares, explaining the npd to food journalists over turkey, small bites of stollen, twinkly lights and fake snow.
Some had themes: there were cosy Alpine chalets and igloos at Asda; restrained Scandi-style fir at Waitrose; and it was all aboard the Christmas Express at The Co-op. But what each show had in common was a fervent desire to predict what consumers are looking for this Christmas. The question is: have they got it right?
Even with a sense of seasonality being bashed off course, one couldn’t miss the genuine excitement from some of the retailers about this year’s ‘hero’ products. Suppliers and developers who have been slaving away since 1 January were keen to share the reasoning behind the new lines as a natural progression from last year’s successes.
The stars of last Christmas were premium lines, particularly own-label ranges and turkey alternatives, so this has remained a key focus for the coming winter. There was turkey with an imaginative twist at Waitrose; Lidl’s first fresh whole goose; and a strong focus on convenient, spiced and flavoured salmon, both fresh and smoked.
The lines have now been drawn, but battle is yet to commence.
Will Asda’s snowmen crumpets get as much coverage on Twitter as its Christmas trees did last year? Will Heston pull it out of the bag for Waitrose with his latest bit of outrageous npd? Will kids be put off Lidl’s smoked reindeer slices by the thought of eating Rudolph? And how many people will actually buy Fortnum’s £1,950 Iberico ham?
We’ve got to wait more than five months to find out.
In the meantime, you can get a preview of retailers’ Christmas ranges in this week’s issue of The Grocer, plus extra content on The Grocer website. Merry, er, Christmas!
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