Seasonal Spotlight: Sainsbury’s launches its Autumn Winter Trends Report

Wednesday 9th October 2024: As temperatures drop and the cosy season is in full swing, experts at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Tu have revealed their predictions for the autumn months and upcoming festivities. Exploring search and sales data, alongside consumer research, the Sainsbury’s Seasonal Spotlight report uncovers what the nation is eating, drinking, wearing and gifting, as well as how they’re decorating this festive season.

The retailer has identified five key themes for this autumn winter season:

1. Autumn and Pre-Christmas
   Autumn flair is in the air, with searches for ‘autumn decor’ on Argos soaring by +2,274% in the first two weeks of September 2024 vs 2023. Meanwhile, demand for autumn themed PJs also skyrocketed as Halloween becomes more popular than ever. Thanksgiving feasts and ‘Friendsgiving’ getaways in the UK are also on the rise, as 34% of people intend to host the traditionally American celebration for the first time. Looking ahead to Christmas, decorating the home for the main event has been brought forward with Sainsbury’s customers purchasing Christmas decorations as early as September. 16% of Brits are even planning to have purchased all their festive party wear by the last week of October.
2. Colour Me Merry
   Retro revival is back with a bang as bold and oversized Christmas decorations reign supreme. Searches for multi-coloured Christmas lights also increased by +1,003% year on year as almost a quarter of Brits (23%) say they will opt for colour this December. Red wine hues are also making their mark on interiors and fashion choices.
3. Host With the Most
   Brits are prioritising convenience in the kitchen in exchange for more time with loved ones. Last December, an air fryer was sold every 8.3 seconds at Argos to speed up Christmas cooking and this year, 22% of hosts expect guests to bring along ready-made dishes, sharing the love and the load. Grilling is also set to be popular, with 17% planning to host a barbeque party during the festive period, with Sainsbury's reporting a whopping +74% increase in December burger sales over the past two years. Millennials will also be taking on more festive duties in 2024, as over a third (39%) will host Christmas for the first time this year.
4. NOËL-stalgia Throwback dishes such as trifle and prawn cocktail, nostalgic décor and gifts are proving popular for 2024, as many take a trip down memory lane to integrate old traditions with the new. In fact, 3 in 5 millennials are buying food that sparks childhood memories and 45% want to adorn their homes with nostalgic decorations. The research even found that nearly half (47%) have already watched a Christmas film, as many just can’t wait to recreate memories for the most wonderful time of the year.
5. Gifting Galore
   ‘Kidult-ing’ is the new trend for Christmas with old-school toys including Furby and Beyblades set to make a comeback as 34% of Brits plan to buy younger relatives the toys they enjoyed as a child. Searches of retro items are on the rise too, showing the nation is set to gift the golden oldies with record players (+22%) and flip phones (+21%) both increasing significantly. Pets are also getting in on the festive fun, with 38% of Brits planning to buy a gift for their furry friend this Christmas, a figure that increases to 44% for Glaswegians.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, commented: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We know our customers are seeking solutions that take the fuss out of preparation and hosting for the festive season, so we're all about “Christmas-made-easy"; think ready-to-drink cocktails, air fryer-friendly party food and convenient, quick-cook centrepieces – all just as big on wow factor as they are on flavour.

“Panettone is synonymous with Christmas and this year we’ve taken it to the next level with both a chocolate and hazelnut as well as a limoncello variant that are perfect for gifting. We’ve even got a mini panettone in a tin that’s just the right size for a stocking. From tipples like our dessert-inspired liqueurs to an eye-catching light up terrarium, there’s truly something for everyone.

“Christmas is also a time for nostalgia and this year, 60% of the nation plan on rediscovering the joy of retro dishes that hark back to the trends and traditions they grew up with. You can expect dishes like terrine, miniature party food and prawn cocktail to make an appearance at the table this year.”

“We’re proud to offer them even more choice to make Christmas special, from our wide range of technology and electrical brands such as Sonos and Apple, to the latest toys for both little kids and those who are kids at heart, for whom our range of Lego is proving popular. Together with our gorgeous new Autumn-Winter fashion from Tu and our beautifully designed Habitat home and furniture ranges, we've really got something for everyone.

“Our customers have already started to embrace their Christmas shopping, with visits to our Christmas page on Argos.co.uk already up by +121% compared to the same time last year. For those needing to make any last-minute purchases, Argos's market-leading same-day Fast Track delivery and Click & Collect services means we have a range of ways to help make shopping during the busiest time of year even more convenient, right up until Christmas eve.”

The full Sainsbury’s Seasonal Spotlight Trend Report is available online at https://about.sainsburys.co.uk/news/media.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Internal data from Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat between 2022 and 2024.

The research was conducted by Censuswide, polling 2,001 UK respondents age 16+ in September 2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

Offering delicious great quality food at competitive prices has been at the heart of what we do since John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury opened our first store in 1869. Today, inspiring and delighting our customers with tasty food remains our priority and our purpose is clear – we make good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone, every day.

Our focus on great value food and convenient shopping, whether in-store or online is supported by our brands – Argos, Nectar, Tu Clothing, Habitat, Sainsbury’s Bank and Smart Charge. Sainsbury’s has almost 600 supermarkets and over 800 convenience stores. Argos is a leading digital retailer and is the third most visited retail website in the UK, with over 70 per cent of its sales starting online. Argos is conveniently available for customers to collect from hundreds of Sainsbury’s stores. Digital and technology enables us to adapt as customers shop differently and our profitable, fast-growing online channels offer customers quick and convenient delivery and collection capability.

About Argos

Established in 1973, Argos is a leading UK general merchandise retailer offering approximately 40,000 products through its website, apps, stores, and convenient Click & Collect points inside Sainsbury's supermarkets. Argos is a technology-led retailer, with its website and app receiving more than a billion combined visits annually, and up to 80% of sales originating online. Argos' market-leading Fast Track delivery service is available across more than 90% of UK postcodes, seven days a week, with home delivery in as little as four hours until 10pm.

Argos is part of Sainsbury's, a company focused on great value food and convenient shopping, both in-store and online. Sainsbury's brands include Argos, Habitat, Tu, Nectar, and Sainsbury's Bank. J Sainsbury

About Habitat

Since its revolutionary beginnings in 1964, Habitat has made outstanding design for the home accessible to all by bringing thoughtful, inventive and affordable furniture and homewares to the UK. This year, Habitat celebrates its 60th anniversary and today customers can find Habitat’s high quality, affordable home products online at Sainsbury’s, Argos and Habitat, as well as in selected Sainsbury’s and Argos stores. Habitat is led by Product Director Hannah Mallett and is proud to fly the flag of British design with a talented in house-design studio comprising over 20 experts in their own fields from ceramicists and illustrators, to upholstery specialists and print designers.

Stockists

Habitat is widely available online at Habitat, Argos and Sainsbury's as well as in selected Argos and Sainsbury’s stores. Habitat's new Digital Showroom in Milton Keynes, features almost 300 top-requested home and furniture products, offers an immersive experience through 'Go In-Store' technology, allowing customers to explore and receive expert advice via video or chat services on Argos and Habitat.

www.habitat.co.uk / www.argos.co.uk / www.sainsburys.co.uk

About Tu

Tu has been inspiring fashion confidence since its launch in 2004, offering design-led, excellent quality and great value fashion across womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.

The sixth largest clothing retailer in the UK by volume, Tu helps customers fulfil their clothing missions everyday by offering everything from a broad range of lingerie, lounge and nightwear, the latest denim fits alongside key fashion pieces, everyday essentials and school wear. Tu also offers a range of specialist sizes with its own brand Petites and Maternity offers, as well as working with selected partners to keeps the whole family’s wardrobe updated with fashion that makes you feel good.

Tu is aware of its impact on the world around it and has stretching sustainability targets to achieve, from key raw materials usage to greater transparency in its supply chain – all measured using the Higg Index.

Tu clothing is available to buy online at Tu and Argos as well as in over 400 selected Sainsbury’s stores.