THE VALUE OF A BIG NIGHT IN

AT the heart of the big night in’s appeal is its affordability, even when covering a large quantity of products. As Aslı Özen Turhan, chief marketing officer at Pladis UK & Ireland, says: “Good value is becoming an increasingly important purchase motivator – but this doesn’t just mean cheaper products. Typically, big-nightin shoppers are more likely to splash out a little on premium propositions – particu- larly from heritage brands they trust.” Retailers shouldn’t forget that customers are looking for value, but also that a big night in gives them the opportunity to splash out.

Hockmeyer says promotions of branded beers are a “perfect storm”, and hasn’t seen the typical lull in sales of treat goods and alcohol that January usually brings. “We were up 30% in January on the previous year,” she says. “Our beer stacks have been going down more since Christmas than before Christmas, we have some really good deals on sharing bags of Doritos and £1 bags of own-label crisps have been going well.”

“It’s a treat night, and we’re adapting our ranges in response,” says Connolly. “We used to have good, better, best and now we’re cutting the better, so it’s almost value or premium. I don’t see the cost-of- living crisis in my stores, I just think people aren’t going out. The money they would spend on going out is coming in store, they’ve swapped spending.”

Stocking value and premium lines can benefit the same customers, depending on the time of month, Connolly adds. “If people have just got paid, they buy Smirnoff vodka – as the month goes on, they go to Spar brand. It’s about having the right range,” she says.

Key Categories

Key big night in growth categories

Craft beer

Craft beer features heavily in big-night-in shops, and four-packs have a 47.4% share of the multipack market. They are particularly important if shoppers are tight on funds, says BrewDog’s Miriam Thompson. “If a shopper is trying to reduce their basket spend and only has, say, £10 left in their budget, a larger multipack that exceeds £10 could be regarded as a big-ticket item they can’t afford. So, alternatively they will stay loyal to the brand, but trade down to a smaller pack for a night in.”

Bakery

“Sales of part-baked breads soared during the lockdowns as people looked to elevate their mealtimes into something special,” says Danielle Dransfield, brand director for Paul Hollywood at St Pierre Group. “Since restrictions lifted, sales of part-baked bread have declined slightly by 10% over the past year, but are back in value growth in the past four weeks.”

Snacks

Crisps and snacks are continuing to grow yearly, with sharing bags up by 16.1% and brands an important piece of the puzzle.

Cooking

Scratch cooking has retained its importance postlockdown, says Courtney Lewis, customer director for independent convenience & wholesale at Premier Foods. “Around half of all home cooks are expected to be cooking from scratch more often now than in 2019 and are making smarter swaps in order to reduce luxuries and additional spending,” says Lewis. This is where retailers have the opportunity to stock accompaniments and cooking sauces, making room for seasonal varieties such as Chinese New Year.

Ice cream

According to Jose Alves, head of Häagen-Dazs UK at General Mills UK, luxury ice cream is the fourth-most impulsive convenience category. Although it is primarily associated with summer, some formats drive sales year round, such as pint tubs and mini cups.