The final quarter of the calendar year is full of gift-wrapped opportunities to spread cheer all season long in the On Premise.
October 31st – The latest US On Premise Impact Report from CGA by NIQ explores perceptions of On Premise visitors, trends, and category shifts as the holiday countdown begins, forearming drinks brands and operators to optimize sales and visitation levels during the most wonderful time of the year.
The outlook for the final quarter of 2023 is positive, with frequency of visits to On Premise venues remaining consistent across the past six months This includes 4 in 5 consumers visiting three or more times during the past three months. In the shorter term, 3 in 5 consumers have visited the On Premise during the past week, and likewise, a similar proportion intend to visit again in the week ahead.
Additionally, 3 in 10 are gearing up to eat, drink and be scary in venues for Halloween, with younger consumers particularly keen to carve out some fright night fun. For this purpose, the weekend before Halloween is a massively popular time for brands and operators to ensure it’s no tricks and all treats, due to 31st October falling on a Tuesday this year.
Looking ahead to remaining occasions in 2023, On Premise visitation levels look set to continue satisfactorily overall. Over half of consumers are very likely or likely to visit the On Premise to celebrate Thanksgiving, while 56% plan to indulge in the holiday spirit both before and after Christmas Day, and 41% plan to see in the New Year in bars, clubs and restaurants. This is particularly popular with those aged under 35.
So, what are consumers drinking as fall transitions to winter?
While most spirit and cocktail drinkers are consuming specific categories as often or more often than they did six months ago, there are notable proportions (around 3 in 10) who have cut down on their consumption levels.
Typically, consumers are more receptive to cocktails than spirit and mixer drinks, although the motivations to pick one over the other are often similar. For example, wanting a treat and Happy Hour or other deals and offers are primary reasons for consumers to choose both drink types. In contrast, buying motivators sometimes vary between visitors to venues in city centers as opposed to suburban areas.
Matthew Crompton, Regional Director – Americas said: “With the raft of annual celebrations during the final quarter, it’s always a key trading period that can literally be make or break. So, it’s business critical for drinks brands and operators to know their customers and pre-empt changing preferences as the seasons shift. For these purposes, we’ll continue to track and monitor key dates as they approach and explore the specific occasions in greater detail. And with 2024 planning in full swing, there’s everything to play for, to not only deliver outstanding results this season, but to also carry a bit of seasonal sparkle into the new year too”.
CGA’s On Premise Impact Reports help suppliers and manufactures across food and beverage keep a pulse on the industry by featuring current insights derived from a variety of our best-in-class data tools. Click here to download more information, or and contact Matthew Crompton for more information at Matthew.Crompton@nielseniq.com to learn more about subscription access and wider capabilities.
About CGA by NIQ
CGA by NIQ provides definitive On Premise consumer intelligence that reveals new pathways to growth for the world’s most successful food and drink brands. With more than 30 years of best-in-class research, data, and analytics, CGA by NIQ provides the Full View(TM).
CGA by NIQ works with food and beverage suppliers, consumer brand owners, wholesalers, government entities, pubs, bars, and restaurants to protect and shape the future of the On Premise experience. Using the most complete and clear understanding of measurement and insights, CGA by NIQ provides a competitive edge to guide winning strategies for On Premise businesses.
NIQ was founded in 1923 and is an Advent International portfolio company. For more information, visit NIQ.com or www.cgastrategy.com.
