1. Stay on trend
The festive season is perhaps the busiest time of the year for the hospitality industry, and you’ll know all too well the difference insight, foresight and planning can make to your footfall and profits. You’ve probably already got your festive season plan underway but is there anything else you could be doing to help bolster its success? Well, to help you get on Santa’s good list in 2024, we’ve enlisted the help of the experts at DesignMyNight to share their insights into:
- What consumers are searching for
- Changes in Christmas Day traditions
- When customers are most likely to book
No plan should be set in stone for years on end, and there are always changes and enhancements you could make to appeal to your customers’ evolving wants and needs. Read on for insights into what consumers are looking for in Christmas 2024 and advice on how you could put these ideas into action.
2. Christmas-themed experiences
Christmas isn’t only about the main event on December 25th. For many of us, the lead-up to Christmas is just as important and this can be evidenced in the most popular searches on DesignMyNight. Searches such as ‘Christmas experiences’, ‘Where to see Christmas lights’ and ‘Winter-themed pop-ups' show that consumers are wanting more for their family events than a mulled wine and mass-produced mince pie at a meet-and-greet with Father Christmas.
What you could try:
- Are there any events scheduled in your area that you could piggyback on? Could you host a pop-up stall offering drinks, seasonal snacks and discounts on early-bird bookings?
- What else would add value for money for your customers? Crafting sessions have increased in popularity in recent years and are easily combined with set menus such as a festive afternoon tea.
3. Think about your keywords
The words consumers use when searching for their festive experience give an invaluable insight into their thoughts, hopes, and mindset about Christmas. For example, searches for ‘pretty Christmas restaurants’ increased 492% between October and December 2023. Searches for ‘Quirky Christmas’ made it into the top 10 Christmas pages in the same period which shows there’s an appetite for something new, different and Instagram-worthy.
Think about:
- How would you describe your setting at Christmas? If you were searching for your premises, which words would you use? Traditional Christmas pub? Cosy family-friendly restaurant? Sophisticated Christmas for couples? Whichever words you would choose, make sure you’re delivering what they promise.
4. Deliver unique experiences
There’s a difference between personal traditions associated with Christmas, and keeping everything the same. Although many are happy to go down the route of cramming extended family around a table on various types of emergency chairs to participate in the annual roast potato-eating competition, others are a little more flexible in their approach to celebrating the tradition of Christmas.
Out with the old, in with the new:
- Could your restaurant offer a Christmas brunch to cater for more relaxed gatherings for friends? Searches for Christmas brunches increased by 22% between October and December 2023 and show there’s interest in something different to the usual turkey and trimmings.
- Keep up to date with key trends. Tap into your customers’ needs for discovery and pull out those ideas from previous years which you thought were too unusual or different. Brands make their mark with consumers by delivering what they want, and didn’t know they needed.
5. Booking starts earlier
The most popular day for creating Christmas bookings in 2023 was 22nd November. This illustrates the mental Christmas countdown inside consumers’ heads and the need to get family or friends events organised well in advance. Similarly, the most popular day for NYE bookings was 29th December; when, perhaps, the turkey has finally run out and the taste of chocolate orange has faded from their lips, consumers feel more ready to think about leaving the house in search of food and drink.
Get ready:
- Get your menus and packages sorted by the end of summer. The sooner you’re ready to press go on your Christmas season, the sooner covers can be booked.
4. On the money
Christmas is an expensive time of year for everyone and we would encourage people to work out a budget and stick to it. November and December pay days need to stretch a long way – paying for Christmas extras as well as the usual monthly bills – so how can your business offer value for money and earn its share of consumers’ hard-earned Christmas budget?
We suggest:
- Try to be transparent on pricing at the front end of the booking process.
- As well as helping with cash flow, vouchers can be a great way to be discovered by a whole new audience if you’re clever about marketing them. Existing customers looking for gift ideas may just be delighted at the idea of being able to share the love and buy vouchers for friends and family. The 7th most popular page for Christmas in 2023 was a popular pub company’s voucher offering. Check out more on listing vouchers and gift voucher management.
Ready to dive into Christmas 2024?
In this article, we’ve shared some of the most popular consumer search trends ahead of the 2024 Christmas season. The key take-away is this: don’t wait until October has ended before you start to plan for Christmas.
We hope this guide has highlighted some of the ways you could enhance your festive offering to provide your customers with the best experience and give your business a prosperous end to the year.
If you’d like to know more about marketing strategies for the festive season, or how to use software to boost bookings, please download the Ultimate Christmas Marketing Strategy Guide for Pubs, Bars and Restaurants in 2024, part of the Access Hospitality Christmas series for 2024.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you get ready for the festive season, get in touch with our team today.
