Survey estimates £7.4bn will be spent on Christmas partying

By James Bayley

Published: 08 December, 2023

A survey of 2,000 UK adults by tonics and mixer brand, Double Dutch, has estimated £7.4bn will be spent in UK hospitality during the festive period – a significant threefold increase compared to the previous year.

The increased spending would provide a much-needed boost to the hospitality industry, which has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years. With nearly half of Londoners (48%) poised to spend over £100 on each Christmas night out, the capital city stands out as a leading contributor to this spending surge.

Venues, pubs, bars and restaurants all stand to benefit from the festive windfall, with over 44% of consumers prioritising visits to such establishments if their disposable income were to be cut further. This surpasses other spending categories like clothing (28%), home improvements (27%) and holidays (27%).

Read more: Record Christmas bookings for Drake & Morgan

The survey also highlighted the changing dynamics of the holiday season, as younger adults, particularly Generation Z (18 to 24-year-olds), signalled their intention to opt for a ‘self-proclaimed hangover day’, to maximise festive partying.

Approximately 60% of young adults are planning to take a day off to recover from their holiday celebrations. This generation's enthusiastic spending habits, with an average of over £200 per night out, suggest that the hospitality industry could see substantial gains over the Christmas period.

Raissa and Joyce de Haas, the twin co-founders of Double Dutch, said: “Our survey reveals that Brits are wholeheartedly embracing the festive spirit, offering a ray of hope for on-trade hospitality venues following challenging years.

“Based on these new insights, and to enable our staff to fully enjoy the celebrations, we've introduced a 'party recovery day' for our team to make the most of the day following our Christmas party.”

Gemma Keegan, brand director at Swingers, a stockist of Double Dutch, added: “This year is set to deliver a record-breaking Christmas in the UK for Swingers, with the highest pre-booked sales we’ve had in December since opening. All key Christmas dates are fully booked and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone into the venues for a celebration to remember. Group sales bookings up 6% vs 2022 and up 12% vs 2019”.

The survey was conducted by Double Dutch and OnePoll, with responses gathered from 2,000 UK adults.

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