Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Retailers should prepare well as 'entertaining at home' is here to stay, says new report

Retailers should prepare well as 'entertaining at home' is here to stay, says new report
iStock image
Getty Images

Entertaining at home is expected to continue, as suggested by a recent report which states that almost seven in 10 consumers said that they have entertained friends at home in the last month and/or they plan to do so in the next month.

As per a new report from TWC, Britons are returning to hospitality but not at the same level of frequency and spend as pre-pandemic, aligning with the high proportion of consumers opting to entertain at home.


The report further adds that four months after full lockdown ended in July 2021, 83 per cent of the nation had visited a hospitality establishment in the last month – which is higher than the proportion saying that they had visited a supermarket, at 80 per cent. So, despite some caution amongst older generations, penetration has returned to pubs, bars and restaurants but not at the same level.

TWC Trends Autumn 2021 montage TWC Trends Autumn 2021 montage

However, Speaking for TWC, Sarah Coleman, Director of Communications, said: “With high future intent to entertain at home, retailers have an opportunity to target home entertaining occasions, to meet the needs of those that don’t want to go out, or indeed those who have enjoyed entertaining at home through the pandemic and wish to continue.

If current concerns about the new Omicron variant lead to further restrictions, retailers need to be prepared for an increase in in-home occasions.

“Our data shows that home entertaining with food from restaurants appeals to all age groups, with more than a quarter of consumers saying they would happily consider ordering food from a restaurant to eat at home when they entertain, but we see this as an opportunity not only for foodservice operators but also retailers – be they physical, local or online.”

The new report from TWC Trends also showed that businesses who get to know their customers – for instance, who they are, what they buy and when – are likely to get ahead.

Over half of those questioned said they are happy for businesses to collect data about their spending habits if they personalise their offer better in return. Furthermore, over a third of consumers agreed that convenience stores should collect and use customer data to offer personalised products and promotions, the report said.

Sarah Coleman scaled Sarah Coleman

“If we align this back to the question of home entertainment, stores have a real opportunity to think about marketing new occasions through deals and promotions and driving loyalty with customers. Data plays a pivotal role in this. Our report shows that 53 oer cent of the population is happy for businesses to collect data," Coleman said.

"Those businesses that aren’t close to their customers will be the ones that lose out. You can be sure that if you aren’t targeting your customers with personalised offers, that the shop or restaurant down the road – or Deliveroo – will be!”.

The first in a series of new mini reports from TWC Trends, has focused on (Re)-Emerging Behaviours and specifically attitudes to socialising both within and outside of the home. The TWC Trends Autumn Edition 2021 series is based on the views and sentiments of over 1,000 consumers across the UK. The research was conducted between 5th and 8th November 2021.

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less