Ho’Ho’How to plan ahead this Christmas

23 September 2026

This post contains paid-for content in collaboration with Tennent Caledonian Breweries UK Limited.

We hear from C&C Group’s, Craig Clarkson on how to make the most of the festive season.
Uttering the c-word in September always feels a bit premature. The schools are not long back, we still have Freshers, Halloween, Bonfire night and St. Andrew’s Day to go but in reality, retailers should be starting to think about their festive ranges and how to win this Christmas.

It’s the most significant trading period for good reason with more social opportunities throughout November and December, Christmas Day itself, extended holidays and Hogmanay all contributing to increased shopping occasions that retailers need to be thinking about.

The good news is there is still time and while consumers are often shopping earlier in a bid to spread the cost of Christmas, December is still the biggest sales month for BWS (Beer, Wines and Spirits) with more consumers coming into the category compared with any other month. Last Christmas beer and cider accounted for over half of the volume of sales in December across BWS making them an important offering to get right¹.

When it comes to what to stock, there are some key points to think about:

Premium versus value
The cost of living continues to impact shopping habits with household budgets under increasing pressure. However, for many consumers festive food, drink and entertaining take priority with grocery sales hitting £13.8bn in 2025 (up 3.8% YOY)². During this time consumers will often be planned and intentional with their purchases, making use of deals and switching to more value-led options for certain items and trading up for others. For many shoppers the focus will be on quality brands they know and trust so stocking core favourites consumers easily recognise can play a key role such as Tennent’s Lager, the no.1 beer brand in Scotland. Last Christmas Tennent’s continued to meet shoppers’ needs for quality and price accounting for five out of 10 of the top performing SKUs by volume sales³.

Tennent’s is helping retailers appeal to multiple consumer needs through its portfolio which now includes Tennent’s Zero, Tennent’s Light, Tennent’s Tops and Tennent’s Bavarian Pilsner which launched late 2025 as a limited edition but has just been added to the range following strong sales and increased consumer demand.

For some, Christmas will be a time of indulgence and trading up from their usual to premium items. Premium world beers and ciders are a great way to meet the needs of consumers looking to try something new at this time of year. Our range of premium beers includes Menabrea, a refreshing Italian lager that pairs excellently with food making it a great option for the festive period with a lot of entertainment centring around meals and Heverlee, a crisp and fresh pilsner style lager. On cider, our premium offering Orchard pig also pairs excellently with food thanks to its careful balance of flavours and lower carbonation making it a great option to stock at this time of year.

Pack size
November and December see a rise in all shopping missions and regardless of the type of store, retailers should have a breadth of pack sizes available to suit all occasions. In the lead up to Christmas, medium and large pack sizes perform well across grocery as shoppers look to stock up while small packs tend to be a popular choice for those looking to top up or pick up on the go, particularly in the post-Christmas period. For convenience this is a key time in Scotland with Hogmanay, football fixtures and bank holidays all presenting opportunities to win with customers. Independents should be thinking how to appeal to this audience with chilled product ready that shoppers can easily pick up. This year Tennent’s is adding to its mix of pack sizes with the addition of a 18x330ml pack which is expected to be a popular choice with shoppers.

Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) means that we won’t see heavy discounts in the category so shoppers will choose from their favourite brand repertoire – so having sufficient stock as well as shelf and display space for your top selling beers is essential.

No and low
It might be a key time for alcohol sales, but Christmas is also the biggest time of year for no and low driven by many factors beyond just health and wellbeing, including costs, changing social habits and the rise in trading up and consuming less. The quality of no and low products has also helped them evolve into drinks that can comfortably compete in alcohol occasions and today’s shoppers will be expecting them on shelf. Retailers should be considering their no and low offering much like they would their traditional alcohol range, carrying a mix of quality recognisable brands that consumers will reach for and be more willing to try such as Magners 0%. When it comes to pack siz small and medium packs tend to be the most popular options to stock.

Over and above what’s on the shelves, retailers should focus on making it as easy as possible for shoppers during the busy Christmas season. Clear signposting, making deals and promotions obvious and clearly showcasing options for different budgets will greatly help shoppers.