Eid ul-Fitr lasts for one day, and is expected to take place on Sunday 30 or Monday 31 March 2025, following the sighting of the moon. In the Islamic calendar, according to Islamic Relief, Eid ul-Fitr takes place on the first day of Shawwal.
This is the day in which Eid prayers take place when, in contrast to the preceding month of Ramadan, it is forbidden to fast. Eid ul-Fitr is one of the two main, equally important, Eid celebrations of Muslims (the other being Eid ul-Adha, which begins following the annual Hajj pilgrimage). Commencing at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, Eid ul-Fitr is a festival that celebrates the breaking of the fast.
It is celebrated by family and other social gatherings, with traditional sweet dishes, feasting, wearing new clothes, shopping and gift-giving. Globally, Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr traditionally over the first three days of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.
“Eid ul-Fitr is one of the biggest festival celebrations of the Muslim calendar – built around sharing wonderful food together at large community events. We expect to see a positive uplift in sales,” says Harry Dulai, CEO of Surya Foods.
There are Eid events taking place around the country, with one of the most popular taking place, including The London Eid Festival 2025 – back for its sixth year at Westfield London, where there will be live entertainment, face painting and some of the best halal food London has to offer and – of course – plenty of sweet Eid treats.
Commercially significant
Ramadan, culminating with Eid, is already being counted as Britain’s biggest economic occasion after Christmas and Easter – worth an estimated £200 million+ to the UK economy; £100m of which is spent in supermarkets and stores, according to advertising firm Ogilvy. The report, titled ‘The Great British Ramadan’, also found that Muslim consumers are disappointed in current engagement by brands and retailers, with 62 per cent saying that they are not being served well.
A survey commissioned by creative agency Mud Orange has also confirmed this, with 63 per cent of British Muslims responding that supermarkets continue to deploy outdated activations across stock, content and design.
“Unlike Christmas and Easter, when supermarkets effectively build a distinct brand role during the cultural moment, Ramadan efforts across supermarket chains follow a homogenous design and product approach which often feels imported, ethnic specific and culturally disconnected from modern British Muslims,” the report states.
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Kenton Burchell, Group Trading Director at Bestway Wholesale, has noted that independent stores can make use of this gap and increase their engagement with the community.
“Independents have an opportunity to beat the multiples by offering better range, value and promotional activity,” he said, adding that the pandemic-driven trend of shopping locally will also help local stores attract more Muslim shoppers.
“A Barclaycard survey found that over 9 in 10 people who shopped locally said that they will continue to do so, meaning Independents -who are able to offer a much more personal touch to the shopping experience - can really capitalise on this trend,” Burchell said.
With the UK’s Muslim population growing – at least four million people identify themselves as practitioners of Islam, making it the second largest religious population in Britain – there are obviously huge opportunities for retailers to capitalise on.
In fact, the term “Ramadan Rush” has been in vogue for almost a decade now, denoting the spending by this demographic before, during and after Ramadan. While smaller stores could do well by tailoring their range based on the ethnic makeup of the area, bigger ones can display the full range to target this phenomenon.
Ranging Eid to win
While foods that sustain and are quick and easy to prepare would be in focus during Ramadan, towards Eid ul-Fitr the mood shifts to more indulgent and celebratory fare.
“Eid ul-Fitr is one of the biggest festival celebrations of the Muslim calendar. It is affectionately called ‘Sweet Eid’ because of the delicious array of sweet dishes served up to celebrate the end of Ramadan,” Surya’s Harry Dulai says.
“During Eid there are a lot of community events all built around sharing wonderful food together. As such running promotions on popular Eid staples, like biscuits and rusks for instance, are great sales drivers.”
Jonathan Calland, head of sustainability and external affairs at Tilda, reminds us that rice remains at the heart of the vibrant dishes around which families and friends come together to celebrate the end of the Ramadan fast.
“Eid provides a great opportunity to highlight the convenience and versatility of the rice category as a base for many festive meals that are often enjoyed with family and friends,” he says.
“It’s important that retailers are prepared and are well stocked with popular rice brands such as Tilda, in a variety of key sizes – from 500g to 20kg – to cater for varying demand.”
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Calland also notes that brands that resonate well with consumers during Eid can particularly help independent retailers to stand out, adding that Tilda enjoys 83 per cent brand awareness amongst consumers from an ethnic background.
“[This] makes the brand a top choice for retailers in the lead up to and during the festival,” he says.
Touching on the theme, Surya Foods’ Dulay notes that their popular dry rice brand Laila is a “great heritage brand trusted by Muslim communities.”
The brand has expanded into lentils, beans and flours, ranging from chickpeas and kidney beans to semolina, polenta and rice flour, and has added Laila spices to its ever-evolving line up of products. The range spans classic store cupboard, spice staples including turmeric, coriander, chilli and cumin powders, together with crushed chilli flakes, providing a wholesome offer to prepare the Eid feast.
Calland suggests that stocking larger packs of dry rice is key to maximising sales, particularly for retailers with stores located in large Muslim communities.
“Used by the vast majority of communities, Basmati rice plays a particularly central role because of its natural versatility and ability to complement a variety of different flavours,” he says. “Sales of larger formats, such as Tilda Big Bags, traditionally peak during key celebrations throughout the year due to the excellent value-for-money they represent for those feeding their family and friends.”
During Ramadan and Eid, consumers prepare rice dishes like Biryani. Within its wide range of products, Tilda offers Tilda Grand Extra Long Basmati rice which has elegantly long and exquisitely fine grains.
“The grains look incredible on the plate and always stand out regardless of the ingredients you combine them with. It’s a grain that adapts well to any recipe but is particularly suitable for biryanis where rice is at the heart of the dish,” he explains.
The product is available in 5, 10 and 20 kg packs, and Calland’s advice is to consider stocking a range of formats, in order to cater for a range of varying demands.
“For Eid, shoppers usually trade-up to larger pack formats like the 5kg, 10kg and 20kg. However, it is also worth keeping Ready to Heat (RTH) options available to provide convenience, exciting flavours and versatility over the fasting period,” he says.
Perfectly coinciding with Eid is Tilda’s new ready-to-heat product range: Tilda Easy Meals. Catering to growing consumer demand for convenient, healthy, and flavoursome meals, the new addition is hitting shelves now.
The Tilda Easy Meals range offers a delicious, nutritious option in just two minutes. After introducing its Tasty Sides range in 2023 – ready to heat pouches of pulses and vegetables in sauce to enjoy with rice – and perfectly-portioned Rice Pots in 2024, this latest launch marks the next step in Tilda’s mission to unlock further category growth through insight-led innovation which caters to genuine consumer need.
“The Tilda brand has achieved strong growth year-on-year, which goes to show consumers’ appreciation for our strong focus on taste, quality and convenience,” says Anna Beheshti, Tilda’s Head of Marketing.
Tilda Easy Meals will be available in microwaveable 250g pouches (RRP: £2.50). Visibility for the new range will be driven via PR, influencer and social activity, followed by shopper marketing in April to help retailers create in-store theatre and drive shoppers to fixture – why not give the range a spin for Eid?
Showcasing brands
Dulay emphasises the importance of retail display fixtures during busy festive periods.
“During Ramadan we always showcase the Laila brand with merchandising to cement our relationship with our loyal customers and attract new customers to the brand,” he says. “Creating bespoke fixtures for Ramadan products is a fantastic sales driver as consumers can easily locate the products they need in one place, which saves them time and creates opportunities to encourage further spend on additional items.”
Souheil Haddad, managing director of authentic Lebanese food specialist Dina Foods, which is a big supplier to Muslim communities, says they always see a spike in sales of its ranges of savouries, sweets and breads as families prepare for Ramadan and Eid.
“Ramadan is a great sales opportunity for independent retailers, particularly if attractive merchandising displays are used to showcase new or special offer items, to cash in on impulse sales,” he comments.
Haddad recommends a Ramadan/Eid area in store which serves as a destination point. “Shoppers need to be able to find this easily and need promotions to encourage them to stock up. A Ramadan sign above the fixture will help shoppers locate the products and stop to shop.”
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The London-based company works with customers to devise Ramadan/Eid ranges and look at how to feature these in store.
“Our customers come to us to ask how we can help during Ramadan and we create seasonal packs of Medjoul dates and Baklawa as well as running promotions on chapati, naan and our trademarked Paninette range of Lebanese Khobez,” Haddad explains.
Their products are made to authentic recipes that have been handed down through the generations. All are highly popular during Ramadan and of course during Eid festivities at the end of the month, he adds.
There are some mainstay products in the Dina Foods range which Haddad advises independent retailers to stock up on at this time of year.
Their authentic flatbreads, which can be served to complement meals or used as a sandwich carrier, are always in huge demand at Ramadan. Dina Foods supplies wholemeal, white and seeded flatbreads, pitta breads and its Paninette flatbread.
They also have an array of sweet products, including Medjoul dates, either enrobed in chocolate or stuffed. Their Lebanese savouries such as Falafel, Vine Leaves, Kibbes, Sfiha, hummus and Baba Ganoush, all Vegan Society certified, also hit the mark during the month.
Dates are the number one product eaten during Ramadan as they are an excellent source of fibre and carbohydrates, are rich in protective antioxidants, as well as high in natural sugar to keep you going. Dina Foods has launched Chocolate Coated and Filled Dates for Ramadan as well as some more luxurious Baklawa variety packs that can be shared.
Haddad also recommends adapting the Ramadan offering to cater for Eid celebrations when the fast is over and people want to treat themselves. Baklawa, a layered pastry dessert, can be shared with family and friends during the Eid celebrations and also makes an excellent gifting box.
“With most of the coronavirus measures now in the past, shoppers will be more inclined to make the most of Eid celebrations this year with family and friends, in a way they couldn’t last year due to the restrictions in place,” Haddad says, adding that retailers should be prepared for a particularly busy period this year, with the independent sector likely to see a particular uplift in sales.
“Independents can operate with speed and offer greater variety than the multiples, providing a welcome platform for innovative suppliers over Ramadan and all year round,” he notes.
And for quenching the Eid thirst, Barr Soft Drinks is encouraging retailers to stock up Rubicon, the UK’s No.1 Exotic Juice drink brand [IRI] to cater for the demand of trusted, authentic brands during the celebration.
Traditional shoppers will be looking for brands that they know and trust, and research shows that Rubicon shoppers are loyal over this celebratory period, according to Dino Labbate, commercial director at AG Barr.
Rubicon was able to drive growth during Ramadan and was the only brand to bring in new shoppers during the period in 2023. Barr sees shoppers stock up on multipacks early on, then top up with singles and 1L packs during the four weeks of Ramadan, switching back to bulk buys for Eid.
New shoppers use events and celebrations as inspiration to try something new, so Rubicon’s wide range of flavours and formats, available in still and sparkling variants, has broad appeal with shoppers catering for a number of different tastes amongst family and friends.
Barr has a range of Rubicon products that cater for all shoppers needs, with its bold, bright and fruity range placed to help retailers maximise sales opportunities. Retailers should focus on the Rubicon Still range early in Ramadan when consumers are fasting and then move towards Sparkling closer to Eid celebrations to maximise incremental sales.
Barr advises retailers to create in-store theatre early on to drive soft drinks sales, as well as making the most of POS on the fixture.
Time to celebrate
As Eid ul-Fitr approaches, convenience retailers can play a pivotal role in catering to the Muslim community’s diverse needs and preferences. Events such as Eid also offer a perfect opportunity to tap into the surging in popularity of ethnic food, partly driven by the growing multiculturalism of the UK.
Mainstream supermarkets are cashing in by selling some ethnic foods, while more and more ethnic stores and supermarkets are appearing. The marketing of specific ethnic ingredients and spices in new blends and multipacks, as well as suggesting recipe inspirations for new customers, can help convenience stores open further paths to sales and profits.
With personal knowledge of their customers and access to cash and carries that supply the ingredients and delicacies Muslim communities are looking forward to, independent stores can win over the supermarkets, whose “ethnic aisles” might still rely on national purchasing and standard skus for bulk sales, when the best margins are in the minutiae and detailed knowledge and of traditional and regional tastes and dishes.
To boost sales during Eid indie retailers can curate their offerings tailored to their customers. This may include creating dedicated Eid displays featuring a variety of festive products such as gift hampers, decorative items, and traditional sweets.
With Eid fast approaching, now is the time for retailers to capitalise on the feel-good factor by stocking up on all the festive favourites so enjoyed by families and friends celebrating the end of Ramadan with the traditional breaking of the fast.
