Home > Back to Publisher > Report Information

UK Christmas Sales: Insight for 2009

Verdict Research Ltd
June 30, 2009
31 Pages - SKU: VERA2303442

Abstract Table of Contents Search inside this report Related Reports

Countries covered: United Kingdom

Introduction

Christmas 2008 marked the beginning of a new era for retail. While some retailers in each sector were struggling, others were defying the credit crunch and continuing to grow their sales in a tough environment. This brief, produced in January 2008 as part of our trading updates service is now available to all knowledge centre clients.

Scope

The briefing provides an invaluable summary of performance in Q4 2008, with quarterly growth rates for each retail sector.
It features like-for-like performance of the major retailers during the important Christmas trading period and highlights new spending patterns.
Performance is analysed by sector drawing out key issues and action points both for individual retailers and for all retail participants.

Highlights

Though consumers are noticeably trading down, this is not benefiting all value retailers. The ones that are gaining have a consistent message of quality and value not just price and often appeal to more affluent consumers as well as lower socio-economic groups.

Online pureplays and transactional websites from store-based and catalogue retailers were among the clearest winners in Christmas 2008. Online offers have become more advanced and customers are increasingly comfortable buying over the Internet setting the channel up for another year of strong growth.

Jewellery, wine and chocolate specialists are all suffering from consumers' new, more frugal mentality. This does not mean shoppers are cutting out all treats, particularly in food & drink, but they are thinking more about where and how they buy them. They are also becoming more considered in their purchases of other non-essential products.

Reasons to Purchase

Ensure management bases its plans on the specific Q4 insights for each sector.
Learn from rivals' successes/avoid the pitfalls of weak operators.
Use insight into changing buying and seasonal habits to refine retail strategies.

VERDICT VIEW
CATALYST
SUMMARY
ANALYSIS: Key Trends Emerging from Christmas 2008; Retail Sales in Q4 2008 - A Steadily Declining Trend, Buoyed by Food Inflation; Sector Context; Retailer Trends; Food & Grocery - Bargain Hunting; Clothing & Footwear - Childrenswear, Lingerie and Young Fashion Outperform, But Value Doesn't; Books, Music, Video & Games - Diversification, Consolidation and Capitulation; General Retailers - Simplicity Wins Out; Electricals - Tough Times for Most; Department Stores - Polarisation in Presents; Other Specialist Retailers - Shoppers Turn to Pets, Hobbies and Health; Home - Serious Concerns; Action Points; Consumers are rethinking their shopping behaviours - providing an opportunity to connect; Marketing should associate brand with shoppers' current outlook; Improved customisation of offer by individual store location and needs of its catchment area; For stronger retailers, there are plentiful opportunities to expand; Flex offer to reflect growth markets. Capitalise on gaps left by fallen rivals; Review price architecture. Focus on 'value' not 'price'.; Multichannel offer increasingly important
List of Tables: Table 1: Key trends in UK retail Christmas 2008; Table 2: Retail sales Q4, 2008 vs 2007 and 2006; Table 3: Retailers in administration by sector January 08-February 09; Table 4: Median sector y-o-y change % in like-for-like UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 5: Median sector total y-o-y change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 6: Sector winners & losers Christmas 2008; Table 7: Food & grocery retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 8: Food & grocery retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 9: Store-based clothing retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 10: Store-based clothing retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 11: Online/home shopping clothing specialists like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 12: Books, music, video & games retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 13: Books, music, video & games retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 14: General retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 15: General retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 16: Electricals retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 17: Electricals retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 18: Department stores like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 19: Department stores total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 20: Other specialist retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 21: Other specialist retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 22: Home products retailers like-for-like change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007; Table 23: Home products retailers total change % in UK Christmas sales 2008 and 2007
List of Figures: Figure 1: Quarterly y-o-y change % Q2 2006- Q1 2009f; Figure 2: Value vs volume y-o-y change % Q4 2008; Figure 3: Value y-o-y change % by sector Q4 2008; Figure 4: Sectors exposure to administration January 08-February 09

More United Kingdom Warehouse Clubs/Superstores Reports

Retail Forecasts H1 2012: UK DIY Superstores (PDF/PP) by Verdict Research Ltd
This report series provides accurate forecasts on a quarterly basis through to Q2 2014. It analyses UK DIY superstores, examining market demand and price ...

North West England Shopping Center Analysis - Retail & Foodservice Outlet Data & Ranking Review by iCD Research
Synopsis ICD Research’s, North West England Shopping Center Analysis - Retail & Foodservice Outlet Data & Ranking Review contains analysis on shopping centers across North West ...

North East England Shopping Center Analysis - Retail & Foodservice Outlet Data & Ranking Review by iCD Research
Synopsis ICD Research’s, North East England Shopping Center Analysis - Retail & Foodservice Outlet Data & Ranking Review contains analysis on shopping centers across North East ...

Shopping Centers in the UK - Industry Data & Ranking Review by iCD Research
Synopsis This report provides uniquely detailed data on the key metrics determining UK shopping center performance and penetration, from a retailing perspective Summary “Shopping Centers in the UK ...

Shopping Centers in the UK - Retail & Foodservice Outlet Data & Ranking Review by World Market Intelligence
"Synopsis This report provides uniquely detailed data on the key metrics determining UK shopping center performance and penetration, from a retail and foodservice perspective ...

See all reports like this >>

More United Kingdom Reports

A Comprehensive Study Of The UK Video Conferencing Equipment Market In 2010, Rating & Valuing Each Of The 30 Companies That Operate In Today's Market by Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.
The Plimsoll Analysis provides you with the most up to date and comprehensive analysis of the top 9 companies operating the market. It is ...

A Comprehensive Study Of The UK Tableware Market In 2010, Rating & Valuing Each Of The 166 Companies That Operate In Today's Market by Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.
The Plimsoll Analysis provides you with the most up to date and comprehensive analysis of the top 9 companies operating the market. It is ...

A Comprehensive Study Of The UK Surveyors & Valuers Market In 2010, Rating & Valuing Each Of The 943 Companies That Operate In Today's Market by Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.
The Plimsoll Analysis provides you with the most up to date and comprehensive analysis of the top 9 companies operating the market. It is ...

A Comprehensive Study Of The UK Subsea Engineering Market In 2010, Rating & Valuing Each Of The 142 Companies That Operate In Today's Market by Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.
The Plimsoll Analysis provides you with the most up to date and comprehensive analysis of the top 9 companies operating the market. It is ...

A Comprehensive Study Of The UK Structural Engineering Consultancy Market In 2010, Rating & Valuing Each Of The 300 Companies That Operate In Today's Market by Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.
The Plimsoll Analysis provides you with the most up to date and comprehensive analysis of the top 9 companies operating the market. It is ...

See all reports like this >>

UK Christmas Sales: Insight for 2009

Share this report

Other tasks

Research Assistance

Related Markets

Warehouse Clubs/Superstores Reports

Free Alert Me service