CHICAGO, Dec. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released its 2022 Christmas & New Year’s Eve Preview, which provides insight into consumer shopping and celebration plans for the two holidays. All celebration plans are on the rise this year, with consumers more likely than previous years to attend gatherings, host parties, and dine out. Top purchases will be food and alcohol, though inflation has 64% of Christmas celebrators looking for ways to save.  

Christmas Consumer Sentiment: 

• Celebrations are up across the board. Almost all celebration plans are up compared to Christmas 2021, with the greatest increases around gathering with family and friends, attending religious events, and going out for food / drinks (all up 3 points vs last year). 
  • Getting together with loved ones is a priority after two holiday seasons marred by the pandemic. Four in five Christmas celebrators (80%) plan to gather with family and friends this year (up from 77% in 2021), with 72% attending two or more gatherings this holiday season and 14% attending four or more. 
• Desserts top the Christmas shopping list, and nearly half of celebrators plan to buy alcohol. More than three in five consumers (61%) plan to buy desserts or sweets, followed by snacks (50%), main courses (48%), alcoholic beverages (48%), side dishes (46%), and appetizers/starters (39%). 
  • Convenience is a top priority for food prep. While shoppers are willing to put work into main courses and side dishes, the majority say they prefer to purchase snacks (63%) and salads (53%) that require little-to-no preparation. 
  • Christmas will be toasted this year. 48% of Christmas celebrators will purchase alcohol for the holiday—wine is the top choice (29% plan to purchase), followed by beer (24%), spirits (19%), and champagne or sparkling wine (14%).
• Inflation’s impact is being felt on all Christmas purchases, not just gifts. 60% of consumers believe that inflation will have a moderate or significant impact on their Christmases, forcing adjustments such as looking for savings on the items they buy (64%) and celebrating on a smaller scale (35%). 

New Year’s Eve Consumer Sentiment:

• Consumers are heading out of the house again this New Year’s Eve. While the number of people planning to celebrate at home with immediate family is flat vs. last year (47% of consumers), 30% plan to attend small gatherings elsewhere (up from 23% in 2021), 19% will go to a bar or restaurant (up from 13%), 11% will attend large gatherings (up from 9%), and 5% will attend a public celebration (up from 4%).
• Many consumers will solidify their New Year’s Eve plans closer to the date. Among those who are unsure of their New Year’s Plans, almost half (44%) expect to finalize plans the week of New Year’s, while 28% will wait until the day before or the day-of to plan.
• Beer, spirits, and champagne top New Year’s shopping lists, while wine wins at Christmas. More than half of consumers (51%) plan to buy alcoholic beverages for New Year’s Eve, with beer the most popular item (25% of consumers planning to buy). The largest differences between Christmas and New Year’s include wine (29% for Christmas celebrators, 23% for New Year’s) and champagne/sparkling wine (14% for Christmas, 21% for New Year’s).
• Inflation is expected to be felt less on New Year’s celebrations than on Christmas. 45% expect a moderate or significant inflation impact on their New Year’s Eve celebrations (vs. 60% for Christmas), and three-quarters of consumers say they will spend the same (56%) or more (19%) than New Year’s Eve 2021.

Numerator’s 2022 December Holiday survey was fielded 12/1/22-12/3/22 to 1,510 consumers. 

About Numerator:

Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research.  Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.

Bob Richter
Numerator
212-802-8588
press@numerator.com