Stock the right range of products and consumers can easily be persuaded to spend a little more on a Big Night In.
By Sarah Britton
There is no doubt in Anila Ali’s mind about the potential for Big Night In within Scottish local retail.
“I think it’s totally a big opportunity for incremental sales,” says the owner of Ali’s Convenience Store in Muirpark, Midlothian. “Post Covid there are a lot more Big Night Ins. People would rather spend extra buying their snacks or drinks and staying at home because it’s still cheaper than going out.”
The store has a Big Night In fixture with POS from Booker, which hosts an array of snacks and dips. Sharing snacks are a winner for Anila: “We do Jimmy’s American popcorn, which sells really well. Also Jimmy’s nachos, big bags of sweets, and sharing bags of crisps.”
At £2bn, sharing is the largest segment in CSN and growing at +2.7% MAT [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Sharing Value, MAT 14.06.25], states KP Snacks.
“The importance of the popcorn category shouldn’t be underestimated within the sharing occasion,” says Stuart Graham, Head of Convenience and Impulse, KP Snacks. At nearly twice the size of its nearest branded competitor, Butterkist enjoys a 33% market share [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Popcorn Value, MAT 14.06.25].
“Consumer demand for sharing products is on the up and snacks are a hugely important part of a memorable sharing occasion,” he adds.
This aligns with Mondelez International’s thinking. “Shoppers like sharing moments, and the evening occasion is the key time of day for sharing with tablets and bags being the most convenient and popular format for the consumer,” says Trade Communications Manager Susan Nash. “At this time of day, consumers want to treat themselves and indulge. Shoppers want variety so it’s important to have a range of flavours and in candy different types of sweets from hard to soft to appeal to all shoppers.”
One of the group’s latest new flavour innovations is Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff 350g block.
Big Night In is more than just a rolling sales opportunity, states Red Star Brands: “It gives retailers the chance to really capture customers’ imaginations and tap into the occasion (and beyond) through creative cross-merchandising of complementary products, special BNI deals and limited-edition offerings to create a buzz and build shopper loyalty,” says Clark McIlroy, Managing Director, Red Star Brands.
To help make the most of Big Night In sales, he advises:
- Understand your customers’ needs – gain insight into their preferences and purchasing motivations. This will help you effectively cater to your target market. Keep the range refreshed and use EPoS and category data to ensure you’re supplying what’s in demand.
- Friday nights and weekends are generally Big Night In occasions, although retailers should also keep an eye on upcoming key calendar dates, major sporting events or even the dates when new TV series are due to drop, so that they can strategically merchandise stocks to boost sales.
- Make the most of supplier POS material to direct footfall to key displays and popular products. Keep your website updated to clearly communicate best sellers, NPD and promotions.
- And finally, review your social media channels. Social media can be a powerful and real-time way to communicate NPD, offers and deals to your customers.
Cost of living pressures have also seen a move by consumers to ‘eat in’ more, again providing opportunities in convenience retailing for Meal For Tonight and Big Night In offers as consumers see staying in with friends and family as a cost-effective alternative to going out, states Nash.
“We also see a continued focus on value, with price-marked pack sales increasing in convenience at a total level [Lumina Intelligence April 2024].”
Product affordability resonates with the majority of convenience shoppers, concurs Bobby’s. “The snacking category is a great example of adapting to price constraints, with more grab-bag formats offering fair portion sizes at sub-£1 price points,” says Marketing Manager Carmelina Mancini.
“Stocking up on price-marked packs is a great way to expand basket spend for shoppers on a budget. Displaying a clear statement of value for money, PMPs are essential for driving impulse sales and building trust through clear, visible pricing.”
Bobby’s supports retailers with a full PMP snacking range – from 65p impulse snack bags to £1.25 share-bag savoury snacks and bagged sweets.
BrewDog has identified four key occasions which drive the Big Night In missions in-store for craft beer and premium lager, and help identify key products and ranges to include:
- Night in (63%) – this might be alone or a meal as a couple, a chance to wind down and relax at the end of the day or spend quality time with someone, generally involving food. This is an opportunity to highlight 4-packs along with meal-for-tonight solutions.
- Regular/everyday drink (34%) – as before, this could be relaxing at home alone or with a partner or spouse, but more habitual rather than a special event. This is a key occasion for alcohol-free, where shoppers are looking for a drink to unwind with nightly, but wanting to moderate mid-week.
- Planned social occasion or BBQ (39%) – relates to a bigger gathering at someone’s home, a more upbeat get-together with friends on a weekend. To cater for a bigger group with different tastes, larger multipack formats and BrewDog’s mixed pack are ideal for this occasion, maybe linked to sharing-style snacks.
- Party mood (36%) – this can simply be drinks before going out or a party at home with friends and family – the emphasis here is on fun. Where a 4-pack is the perfect accompaniment to pre-drinks, larger multipack formats and BrewDog’s mixed pack are best placed for larger parties.
Trading up
But PMPs aren’t the only way to please Big Night In shoppers. Lauren George, External Communications Manager at Mars Wrigley, explains that consumers still want to treat themselves. “While value remains important, don’t underestimate your customers’ desire for indulgence and emotional satisfaction during Big Night In occasions,” she says. “They’re not scaling back – they want to elevate these moments with bold flavours, fun formats, and products that feel special.” The firm has recently relaunched White Maltesers after a 10-year hiatus, available in single packs, treat bags and pouches.
St Pierre Groupe agrees that enabling the opportunity to trade up is central to making Big Night In a success. “Our attitudes to dining in have shifted due to the cost-of-living crisis, with people using food and drink to make themselves feel good in the comfort of their own homes, reserving nights out for major celebrations. Hence, the Big Night In is a major opportunity for retailers,” says Rachel Wells, Commercial Director at St Pierre Groupe, commenting on behalf of the St Pierre brand.
“The key occasions driving the Big Night In are spontaneous gatherings and intimate get togethers. Individual tastes vary widely, but almost everyone buys bakery, making it one of the most important Big Night In categories. Shoppers are increasingly looking for products that deliver simple indulgence, and retailers can easily cater for this by providing ranges that allow customers to ‘upgrade’ from traditional staples. Brioche is a key way to enable customers to do this, and St Pierre’s brioche range is an ideal base for elevating the ‘everyday’ and enhancing a host of popular at-home recipes.”
Hot dog rolls are big sellers for Big Nights In all year round, she notes, adding that bold flavours and fusion bakery, such as St Pierre’s Spicy Chilli Brioche Bun, can also help to capture the imagination of the Big Night In customer.
Josh Corrigan, Customer Development Director, UK, at St Pierre Groupe, commenting on behalf of the Baker Street brand, adds that hot dogs’ popularity as a Big Night In meal is driven, in part, by the rise in ‘Americana-style’ dishes on menus across the UK, as well as the trend towards ‘fakeaway’ favourites.
“For maximum linked purchases with burger buns and hot dog rolls, it’s important to merchandise a tasty selection of sauces and relishes nearby, but you can go a stage further in promoting spur of the moment impulse purchases with imaginative food and drink pairings,” he says.
Kepak concurs that the popularity of fakeaway is boosting the Big Night In occasion, with 74% of consumers saying they are ‘convenient’ and 70% saying they are ‘good value’ [Savvy Shopper Panel Survey – 1006 grocery shoppers, June 2023].
“This presents an opportunity for retailers to use Rustlers and other key Big Night In products such as alcoholic drinks, which 73% of consumers said they would expect to be included in a fakeaway, to enable consumers to recreate their favourite takeaway in the home,” says Ross Davison, Head of Convenience at Kepak (Foods Division), which owns Rustlers.
Kingsland Drinks claims Big Night In wine consumers can be adventurous in their tastes.
“Not wanting to miss out on experiences and trends dominating the on-trade, consumers are still exploring different categories and recreating those experiences in the home,” says Jo Taylorson, Head of Marketing and Product Management.
One area she believes they are keen to explore is Eastern European wines. “This year we expect Eastern European wines to become much more prevalent in the UK as consumer interest in under-discovered varietals and wines from emerging regions grows. Guests want to turn up to dinner parties offering a bottle with a story and point of difference, and this region brings just that.”
Harnessing home delivery
Of course, linking alcohol and other Big Night In lines in-store is trickier in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK as the display of alcohol is restricted to a single designated area. “We can’t bring the wine or beer into the snacks [display] … so we were discussing [at a recent event] whether you can bring the snacks beside the [beer] fridge,” says Anila.
“As we have a beer cave we’re not sure how well that would sit with customers because everything’s going to be too cold. We’ve got our Big Night In fixture close to our beer cave and we’ve got our pizza deals highlighted in store with Big Night In stickers on the fridge doors.”
She thinks taking Big Night In online holds the key: “We do home delivery through the Snappy Shopper app. Creating a Big Night In category online would mean it’s so easy to bundle things rather than doing it in store.”
Another Big Night In opportunity Anila has latched on to is the chance to encourage consumers to trade up.
“We’ve seen a difference in people picking up a more expensive bottle of wine now because they’re not having to pay pub prices or restaurant prices anymore,” she says.
“Normally, we used to sell a lot of price-marked £5.99 wines. We now sell everything across the range unpricemarked so they’re maybe spending up to £8 or £10 a bottle.
“When they compare it to if they were actually going out for a night, they would end up spending a lot more, so they’re actually just treating themselves to a bit more expensive wine and you know, they don’t mind spending on treats because overall it costs less than if they were going out.”
Premium priced RTDs have grown faster than any other segment in the last two years with an increase in spirit-based offerings and higher ABV product launches. This offers retailers some great opportunities to maximise their RTD offering in line with current consumer demand, especially for occasion-led sales such as the Big Night In.
Four Loko is performing strongly in the RTD category, driven by top-selling flavours like Four Loko White, Pink Melon, Dark Berry Burst and the latest addition to the range, Hawaii. “We’re seeing steady market share growth, strong consumer appeal, and high retail sell-through rates, supported by innovative launches and effective marketing strategies that keep us ahead in the category,” says Clark McIlroy, Managing Director, Red Star Brands.”With its unique and innovative flavour combinations, unmissable packaging and a well-earned reputation for really delivering on taste, Four Loko rapidly becoming the ‘go to’ choice of RTDs for the Big Night In.”
Four Loko has seen double-digit sales growth in the last 12 months across the independent channel and is now one of the fastest growing RTD brands in the UK, delivering +28.1% growth in the last 52wks, with 760 cans sold every hour (IRI FAB Total Market, 18.05.25).
And it’s not just wine where premium options can encourage trade up: “Premium lager remains one of the biggest opportunities of the Big Night In occasion for convenience store retailers,” says Robert Hobart, Marketing Director, Asahi UK. “In fact, premium lager is the only value segment of the beer market that is in growth, up by +3.7% year on year (YoY), as total lager continues to decline (-0.8%).
“The economy segment is down by -6.6% [Nielsen GB | Tot Cov L52W | w/e 18.01.25]. Asahi UK is in a strong position with our high-performing portfolio of premium brands, which includes Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, Meantime, Fuller’s London Pride and Cornish Orchards.”
Cans are playing an increasingly important role at the premium end of the lager category and are therefore a must-stock format for Big Night In shoppers, says Hobart: “The format has been growing its share of lager in recent years, reaching a value share of almost 64% in the latest year, up from 59.5% in 2022 [NIQ Scantrack | Total Coverage | Lager | 52 w/e 28/12/24].”
The Big Night In occasion typically sees consumers gravitate towards larger packs of beer and cider than they would normally purchase, in preparation for hosting friends and family at home, or to treat themselves to something extra special, states Heineken UK.
“Especially during a time where people may not have as much disposable income to spend on trips to the pub or bar, a Big Night In will appear even more appealing as they try and bring some of that excitement indoors – so having an exciting beer and cider range in store is more important than ever,” comments Alexander Wilson, Category & Commercial Strategy Director at Heineken UK.
Pack a punch
In the channel, small packs of beer and cider are worth £862m, mid-sized packs worth nearly £375m, and large-sized packs worth nearly £43m [Nielsen IQ – Full Year 2024 – Impulse Channel]. “As such, retailers can capitalise by stocking small- and mid-sized packs of more recent beer and cider launches, such as Cruzcampo, Birra Moretti Sale di Mare and Strongbow Strawberry, to drive interest to the fixture when customers are hosting, where bigger multipacks might be warranted, and people are more likely to buy something new to impress guests,” says Wilson. “Stocking new lines like this also suggests to consumers that a store is up to date with trends, and they can rely on them to offer the latest innovation in the beer and cider category – perfect for when hosting people at home.”
In 2024, 76% of alcohol sales in the UK were in off-trade settings including supermarkets and off-licences [Alcohol Consumption and Harms Dashboard], reflecting the preference for take-home purchases, cites Aston Manor Cider.
“In Scotland, consumers are looking for affordable ways to treat themselves – and the Big Night In provides a perfect opportunity for indulgence without the high price tag,” says Natalie Marshall, Trade Marketing Manager at Aston Manor Cider. “Cider is a popular choice among consumers looking for an affordable, great-tasting drink to enjoy at home and Scotland is currently the only region in the UK which is seeing growth in the cider category [TWC, Region performance, Value last 13wks to 26.01.2025].
The firm’s Knights Cider is the second-biggest cider brand in the UK convenience channel [TWC, Cider, Brand Volume, Last 13 Wks to 15.06.2025].
Soft drinks are becoming a credible alternative to alcohol during Big Night In occasions, claims Red Star Brands. “We’re seeing growing numbers of consumers turning away from traditional Big Night In beer and cider SKUs, instead choosing innovative zero-alcohol options such as Sparkling Ice flavoured sparkling water, or low-calorie drinks, over ‘full fat’ carbonated soft drinks – still seeking out enjoyment but remaining on trend with a strong nod to overall health considerations,” states Managing Director Clark McIlroy.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Senior External Communications Manager Kate Abbotson says: “As consumer habits evolve, the Big Night In has cemented itself as a key occasion in the weekly routine for many UK households, offering a unique opportunity for retailers to cater to demand for indulgent yet convenient drinks that enhance the at-home experience.”
The recent launch of Fanta Zero Apple, Fanta Zero Raspberry and Fanta Tutti Frutti Zero Sugar gives consumers even more choice in the zero-sugar segment.
Big Night In consumers are being inspired by the on-trade trend for cocktail shots and miniature drinks, according to Paragon Brands. “Known as ‘Baby drinks’, they combine multiple spirits in one shot-sized drink,” says Managing Director Chris Jones. He explains that they are on the rise, with 49% of Brits now preferring cocktail shooter shots to traditional shots.
Licor 43 has been at the forefront of this revolution with one of the UK’s hottest shot trends, he claims: “Christened the ‘Baby Beer’, the fun serve is a combination of Licor 43 topped with cream liqueur, perfectly resembling a miniature pint of beer. We know the drink is part of a real-life high-tempo drinking moment that is a lively talking point during at-home drinking occasions and the Big Night In.”
Another on-trade trend reflected in the off-trade is the demand for bar-strength drinks: “With many consumers recognising that the Big Night In provides an opportunity to socialise without the added expense of going out, we’re seeing Four Loko’s core target audience trading up for bar-strength RTDs that replicate cocktail experiences while maintaining convenience,” says Clark McIlroy, Managing Director, Red Star Brands.
“Flavour variety and bold branding are key drivers, with shoppers looking for convenient, exciting, shareable, and social-friendly drinks.” Four Loko is performing strongly in the RTD category, driven by top-selling flavours like Four Loko White, Pink Melon, Dark Berry Burst and our latest addition to the range, Hawaii.
AG Barr is also getting creative on the flavour front by expanding its KA brand into RTDs. The four-strong KA Remix range offers Black Grape, Fruit Punch, Pineapple and Karnival Twist variants, all mixed with Caribbean white rum.
Lucy Henderson, Marketing Director of AG Barr, says: “Long drinks are a booming part of the RTD category and we know mixing an iconic soft drink will help deliver profits for retailers – bringing new shoppers into the category, as well as delivering a hit of nostalgia for existing RTD drinkers.”
The 300ml drinks have an ABV of 6% and an RSP of £2.79.
Alcohol-free growth
At the other end of the spectrum, low- and no-alcohol drinks continue to gather pace. IWSR expects considerable growth over the next few years, particularly driven by low-alcohol beer but across the category, claims Kingsland Drinks. “Lower and no ABV wines and spirits are earning their place on fixtures and consumers are responding by integrating them into their shop,” says Taylorson. “They’re becoming a must-have item to have stocked at home and ready to go for those evenings in where consumers want to ‘unwind’ with a drink that offers complexity, but don’t necessarily want to consume alcohol or for consumers who are following the ‘zebra striping’ trend, alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to avoid overindulging and to moderate their consumption of alcohol.”
Ali’s Convenience Store has a dedicated low and no section in store but “it’s not something we get a lot of support on,” says Anila. She recently attended a Heineken event, which addressed Big Night In opportunities. “We talked about top [no and low] lines, which I didn’t even know existed, so I went to Booker and bought those. We talked about how they can play a part in Big Night In because drinking has changed, especially for the youth; they’re more health conscious, some choose not to drink, but they still want to be included.”
Crisp brand Golden Wonder has welcomed two new flavours and a pack revamp.
Salt & Chilli Chicken is inspired by the Chinese takeaway favourite, which is particularly popular in Scotland, while Chip Shop Curry is returning after a hugely successful limited-edition run in 2022.
The refreshed range will be supported by a significant consumer marketing push in Scotland including radio, YouTube and social media advertising from August to November, reaching over 80% of Scottish adults, and product sampling at key events like The Edinburgh Fringe and Oasis at Murrayfield.
Packs have also been given a major update – the first in a decade – bringing a modern new look that perfectly reflects the brand’s bold personality.
The new design brings to life the brand’s ‘More Punch Per Crunch’ message, with eye-catching packs that shout flavour and crunch from the shelf.
The new packaging heroes a simplified Golden Wonder logo supported by bright, engaging colours and crisp photography.
The new look will roll out across impulse, multipacks and £1 PMP sharing formats, giving standout shelf presence across all channels.
The KAM No and Low Conference in June 2025 revealed that 70% of adults say health is the main reason they are reducing alcohol consumption, followed by fitness goals, saving money and avoiding the negative after-effects of alcohol, notes Paragon Brands’ Jones.
“Moderation is now a part of the everyday drinking culture,” he says. The firm’s Caleño range of tropical non-alcoholic spirits aims to be the leading non-alcoholic rum brand.
With more consumers focusing on moderation or even abstention, particularly mid-week, 43% are reducing the alcohol content of the drinks they consume, and this does not show signs of slowing [Vypr Consumer Research – July 2024], observes BrewDog.
“This has led to a generational shift, with almost 40% of 18-25s not drinking alcohol at all vs 22% in 2019 [Bespoke Consumer Research – August 2024],” says Customer Marketing Manager Georgia Ladbrook.
“Moderation is now mainstream with three in four of us moderating our alcohol intake to some degree and the number of people looking to moderate alcohol consumption is similar in size to the number who consume alcohol once a week (77%) [Vypr Consumer insights, KAM research 2024].
“As a result, while beer sales are in slight decline, alcohol-free sales are up +18% value YoY [Circana Total Impulse MAT w/e 25.05.25].
“Ensuring you have a quality range of low & no products to meet the Big Night In occasion, alongside alcoholic options, is vital.”
