Christmas product picks

This Christmas will appear like few others. It is clear that retailers will have to work much harder than previous years to bring shoppers in-store and even to shop online. A monthly snapshot of spending by Barclaycard, which accounts for half of debit and credit card transactions, found that 50% of consumers were planning to tighten their belts this Christmas, cutting back on presents, food and drink, and socialising.

With the festive season around the corner, brands will need to be smart in the products they present and the messaging they use to promote their goods.

In the drinks sector, with consumers contending with the cost of living crisis, expectations are that those looking for a festive beverage will favour dining in and drinking at home. We shouldn’t be surprised if shoppers start to consciously plan which items to get from where and seek out deals to stretch their total seasonal budget.

As a result, retailers are focused on making sure they back winners this Christmas. So which products will be the bestsellers this festive season? Here is a selection of the latest Christmas offerings.

Holidays are coming!

Christmas product picksCoca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is kicking off its annual Coca-Cola Christmas countdown this month with the launch of a new on-pack promotion, to help cover the cost of special festive moments, whether that be mealtimes or gifts for friends and family.

Leaning into the values of Christmas – giving, sharing and being together – the festive-themed sharing packs of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and for the first time Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry feature the iconic and eye-catching Sundblom Santa Claus to drive standout on shelf.

From the 21st November, shoppers can scan QR codes on-pack for the chance to win pre-loaded £200 ‘Festive Feast’ gift cards from Love2Shop – accepted by supermarkets, food aggregators, restaurant chains and more.  With 1,000 gift cards up for grabs, shoppers can also win thousands of exclusive Coca-Cola and festive gifts.

The promotion will run across large PET bottles (1.25lt, 1.75lt and 2lt)  and multi-packs of cans.

For the first time this year, the large Christmas can multipacks (24 & 30) will include NaviLens codes on the cardboard outters to help shoppers that are partially sighted and have difficulty using traditional signage the opportunity to navigate their way around a shop to find their chosen purchases. Partially sighted shoppers will be able to scan the codes on their mobile phone camera and the information they need is contextualised in the NaviLens app. They do not need to know precisely where the codes are placed, as the codes can be detected at wide angles, from distances of up to four meters and when unfocussed.

This year’s Christmas on-pack activity is being supported by a multi-million-pound marketing campaign, to ensure Coca-Cola is front of mind for shoppers from November through to New Year’s Eve, under the Coca-Cola strapline, ‘Real Magic’.

Seasonal serves

Christmas product picksBombay Sapphire is embracing the sharing theme by appealing to the mixologists among us with seasonal serves (from a sophisticated Premier Cru White Lady to a showstopper Premier Cru French 75) in case we’re putting together any Christmas Cocktails.

Each of the recipes includes the brand’s most premium expression, Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, making them perfect for those looking to instantly make any occasion feel more special, or anyone wanting to elevate their cocktail making experience at home.

Additionally, its elegant bottle design is sure to catch peoples’ attention on a bar trolley  – making it the ideal gift for gin lovers and budding mixologists this Christmas and beyond.

Beery Christmas

Christmas product picksTaking a different tone are the drinks experts at The Bottle Club who have rounded up six of the best beer Christmas Advent calendars of 2022 that will ‘sleigh’ this years countdown:

The Ultimate ‘Craft Beer’ Advent Calendar

At almost a metre tall, this mighty Christmas tree from Bier Company dominates all other advent calendars. Carefully designed to stay rock-solid, stable and bottom heavy. 25 craft beers from 25 different award-winning UK & European craft breweries, including exclusive beers brewed specifically for the Ultimate Craft Beer Advent Calendar.

Beer Advent Clock

Countdown to Christmas in spectacular style this year with The Bottle Club’s fun, quirky and refillable beer calendar. The clock actually works and makes a great countdown to Christmas, a great party or even a kitchen accessory. Including 12 craft beers.

Beer Advent Calendar

Featuring 24 epic beers and an exclusive glass to make your jingle beers even merrier.

British Beer Advent Calendar

The Best of British Beer Advent calendar contains 24 fabulous bottles and cans of the highest quality beers from the finest independent breweries in Britain. The beer types are a real mix, they include some of the old favourites and a modern twist of styles, just to get you in the mood for the festive period.

Beer Advent Calendar

This must-have beer advent calendar from The Bottle Club is filled with a mix of 24 bottles and cans from a variety of breweries, Including the Black Storm Brewery IPA, the Sonnet 43 Abolition Amber Ale, Wiper & True Light Pale Ale, this advent calendar is the perfect present for all beer boffins. Maybe you’ll find a new favourite among the wide range of different and delicious beers. What a start to the festive season – and guaranteed to make sure it is a ‘beery’ Christmas.

Beer Hawk Advent Calendar

Beer Hawk takes you on an adventure through the history of beer, so travel the world and discover the iconic characters, flavours and styles the brewing world has to offer. Each beer will give you the chance to discover new styles, from different brewing processes to enjoy unique and exotic flavours!

Rebel Wine – A unique Christmas gift

Christmas product picksRebel Wine has the answer for those looking for an inspired and unusual stocking present this Christmas?. CBD infused wine in a can. With eye-catching designs, this perfect stocking sized 3 can gift tube and delicious taste is an ideal gift for every adult in the family.

This is wine that can help with Granny’s arthritis, Mum’s insomnia or your brother’s sporting aches

and pains, the company says. It infuses 10mg of organic CBD in every 200ml can. Using award winning wine from South Africa and France, each can contains the equivalent of a large glass of wine.

Rebel Wine is available in Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. There are also two spritzers, called Skinny Rebel due to their low alcohol and calorie content. All Rebel Wines are 100% vegan.

Rebel wine is the UK’s first and only CBD infused wine. It is listed on the FSA Novel Food list of CBD products. Only items on this list can be legally sold in the UK. They have met the necessary testing requirements, to ensure they comply with UK food safety rules.

Bring the pub home

Christmas product picksBringing the pub home this Christmas is Devon Hampers who sources only the very best produce from the West Country. Vegan gluten free and low sugar options are available and there are a choice of three packages – classic cardboard box, printed box and a traditional wicker hamper.

The Jingle Bells Jail Ale Hamper is all singing, all dancing and full to the brim with delicious snacks and sweet treats as well as two bottles of Jail Ale from the Dartmoor brewery. Tuck into a Taste of Game Wild Boar & Apple flavour potato crisps, nibble on Mr Filbert’s Mexican Sweet Chilli Mixed Nuts and munch your way through Cornish Charcuterie Pulled Pork. What more could your friends, family or work colleagues want this Christmas?

For a “proper” taste of Devon is the Dartmoor Legend Ale, Cheese and Chutney Hamper. This hamper offers the perfect combination for beer lovers with two bottles of Dartmoor Brewery Legend Ale, a classic cask-conditioned beer which is smooth and balanced, providing a great taste and aroma to accompany the Cave Aged Traditional Cheddar. The cheese is matured in the historic caves of Wooky Hole to give it a delicious rich and tangy taste. With the Jail Ale Chutney and Popti biscuits it’s the perfect combination on a cold winter’s night.

Revealing the Thatchers 12 Days of Christmas Gift Box

Christmas product picksUnveiling a Christmas surprise – is Thatchers very first 12 Days of Christmas Cider Gift Box.

Available online and from its Cider Shop at Thatchers in Somerset, the 12 Days of Christmas Cider Gift Box contains a selection of Thatchers’ family favourites, all made right at Myrtle Farm in Somerset. It costs £34.99 (plus delivery if ordering online).

In the best traditions of Christmas gift boxes, Thatchers is leaving it a surprise as to which ciders you’ll find when you open each door. But in true Thatchers style, there’s a Somerset cider for everyone included.

Gin for Christmas feasting

Urging the gift of giving  to complement festive feasts is the new Levin Down Goodwood Gin from one of England’s most historic stately homes and sporting estates. Goodwood Gin uses English wild juniper and aromatic gorse flower which flourishes in the Levin Down nature reserve.

The gin has already won awards, including London Dry Gold and Contemporary Gold at The Gin Masters 2022 blind tasting from over 500 entries.  Fans of unusual gin will enjoy its distinction.  It is a small batch London Dry style, distilled with mineral water which is naturally chalk-filtered through the South Downs.  The 43.6% abv strength and depth of flavour from 12 botanicals creates a classic and elegant gin & tonic and exhilarating long serves to evoke the heady freshness of the countryside and sociable sporting activities of the estate.

Expect smart releases coupled with reminding audiences that Christmas is special and that, however hard life is, there is always reason to celebrate.

Related content

Leave a reply

Food and Drink Technology