With restaurants, pubs and bars gearing up for Valentine’s Day, CGA by NIQ’s research reveals the full impact of the occasion on drinks sales.
CGA’s market measurement service shows an average rate of drinks sales per managed outlet of £1,479 on Valentine’s Day in 2023. This is £290 or 24.4% more than the annual average. OPUS consumer research meanwhile indicates that around a fifth (19%) of consumers typically visit a restaurant, pub or bar on 14 February.
Champagne, sparkling wine and still wine are among the drinks categories that get the biggest uplift from occasions like this. Nearly a third (30%) of consumers told the OPUS survey that they typically drink still wine on special occasions, while around a fifth choose sparkling wine (20%) or cocktails (19%).
Total Wine & Champagne sales have been slow to recover since the COVID-19 pandemic, and CGA’s data indicates total sales of £3,448m in 2023—0.3% behind 2022. White and rosé wines increased their share of value sales by 1.1and 0.3 percentage points respectively, while red lost 0.8 percentage points. It was a tough year for Champagne, with sales down 17.0% to £253m, but sparkling wine saw solid growth of 5.1% to £597m.
CGA client director Mark Newton says: “After the post-Christmas trading hangover and Dry January, Valentine’s Day delivers a vital boost to sales for restaurants, pubs, bars and suppliers. It’s an especially good opportunity to attract new wine consumers and encourage existing drinkers to trade up, and smart campaigns now can pay dividends not just on the day itself but throughout 2024.”