As the year has stretched on through lockdown, the C word is starting to crop up a lot. With department stores opening their Christmas shops and advent calendars hitting the shelves, consumers hoping for a big end of the year party to celebrate the end of 2020, there’s no denying that Christmas is definitely not cancelled.

However, many retailers are still being cautious with their Christmas ordering, and rightly so. With the lockdown guidance changing on a near weekly basis and varying guidelines across the UK, the thought of surplus festive stock is a scary one. But no matter how big or small the celebrations may be, the country will still need gravy, chocolate and crackers to see us through December. Here’s some things to think about when you’re adding to basket:

Don’t just stick to snowflakes and Christmas trees – These won’t stand the test of time after 25th December and won’t be as easy to remarket for the Spring Holidays. Try Shortbread House of Edinburgh beautiful tins that are almost too pretty to give away or the Farmhouse Biscuits Regency range for fun flavours. If you’ve got a gap in your selection for children’s gifting then Pico Chocolate tortas and fun and offer a great point of difference.

Try modern flavours – Trends from previous years have shown that traditional Christmas food items such as mince pies and Christmas Cake are on the decline, especially amongst younger consumers. Millennials have been hitting their local stores more than ever during lockdown, so cash in on their trade by making sure you’ve got some more modern flavours to keep them coming back for more. Try Chocolate Story for ‘grown up’ chocolate bars and Crosta & Mollica for great Panettone.

Don’t forget about the 4-legged friends – The pet market is worth millions of pounds in the UK, and now more than ever we are treating our pets. If we aren’t able to see friends and family from further afield then animals will be reaping the rewards. Try Denzels and The Dig Treat Co for perfect pick for pooches.

Pick up your All-Year-Round catalogue – We have over 4000 products available all year round and there are some great lines that can be marketed for festive ranges, make sure to include them in your Christmas displays! Using products you already stock means you can maximise on your best sellers.

  • Try exploring your range to see how you can adapt and group together lines you may already be stocking in to hampers; crackers from Peter’s Yard and chutneys and preserve’s  from Drivers are a classic combination, and you could just add in 1 seasonal line or pair with some cheese from our chilled catalogue. For an indulgent extra, add in some TruffleHunter.
  • Many of our confectionery lines and baked goods make great gifts including Summerdown Mint, Monty Bojangles and Dean’s. They have the wow factor without being overly festive and will look great on any coffee table until spring (if you can resist them that long!).
  • If your customers are skipping the feeds-at-least-10-people turkey this year, then stock up on store cupboard essentials like gravy, stocks and sauces from Potts and stuffing mixes from Gordon Rhodes, your customers will love the convenience which will give them more time to catch up with their loved ones after so long apart.

Explore the full Christmas Range here.