Asda shoppers get bubbly in festive jumpers

Asda’s analysis of shopping trends in 2015 shows that the weather influences our buying habits, and we still love to mark ghoulish festivals like Halloween.

Halloween was bigger than ever in the UK, with an estimated spend of £250m and a sales increase of 12 per cent year on year.

Asda prepared by stocking 259 per cent more costumes than last year and introducing new “spooky” foods such as bumpkins, ‘putrid’ purple chilies and green swede. Halloween costumes for pets were also introduced. It’s all part of a growing trend. Asda had sold more than 120,000 dog jumpers the previous Christmas.

The Christmas jumper phenomenon continues to grow; sales are up 1,105 per cent since 2012, and sales of Asda’s pet costumes rose by four per cent year on year. Christmas celebrations were high on everyone’s agenda with two million bottles of fizz being sold in December alone, and three bottles of Prosecco being popped for every bottle of Champagne.

Commenting on the year’s retail trends, Fiona Lambert, at Asda’s vice president of own brand development and design, said: “We’ve needed to remain flexible this year to meet the demands of the weather and what our customers needed season to season.

“It’s been about reacting in the right way to maximise convenience for them across food, home and clothing.

“The unpredictability of this year has meant a tough ride for most retailers but we’ve got everything in place to make 
sure our customers can find what they need in store and online year round, come rain or shine.”