Bumper alcohol sales forecasted for Platinum Jubilee weekend

Bumper alcohol sales have been predicted over Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

Forecasting sales increase across several categories, data specialist Kantar said that despite rising inflation levels, there are signs that the British public is already looking ahead to the Platinum Jubilee at the beginning of June.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said, “With a four-day bank holiday weekend on the horizon, we’re expecting people to celebrate with friends and family. 

“Looking back at the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, we saw a 10 percent boost in supermarket sales during the week leading up to the festivities. We should never underestimate the appetite for a party, especially a royal one.

“Summer refreshments back then were top of the shopping list and both alcohol and soft drink sales shot up. Beer sales rose by 23 percent [and] sparkling wine sales more than doubled.” 

Wine retailer Majestic too is expecting record sales of sparkling wine, ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, while Majestic said it expects the nation will celebrate with 114 glasses of fizz per minute, with English sparkling wine expected to dominate.

Majestic added that it expects 110,000 bottles of sparkling wine to be picked up between June 2-5.

“In terms of bubbly consumed, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee outdrinks Kate and William’s Royal Wedding back in 2011 by 23,000 bottles, making it a 21 percent increase – and Harry and Meghan’s marriage in 2018 by 43,000 bottles, a 39 percent increase,” the company said.

“It’s a mixed picture across the nation, however,” the retailer added. 

While sales of Prosecco are set to be the most popular in Scotland (one in four glasses), according to Majestic’s extensive customer research, the Home Counties will come across as top English sparkling drinkers with London is expected to four times more likely to pop a cork than the rest of the UK and expected to consume the most Champagne and fizz per minute, at 860 flutes (or coups) per minute over the four-day weekend. 

Meanwhile, in the West Country, celebrators are more likely to go for Crémant and Cava, the retailer said.

Majestic said English sparkling wine sales are up by around 58 percent like-for-like, and it expects Nyetimber Classic Cuvée to top the best-sellers chart for the first time.