Christmas bells usually equal ringing tills. In Britain, we spend an average of almost £50 billion on food, drink and gifts in the weeks leading up to 25th December, meaning it’s still the most critical transaction period in retail.
Get your marketing, merchandising, stock and staffing right, and you’ve got yourself a great formula for success. Read on to discover what your peers will be doing during ‘turkey and tinsel time’ this year.
Jarrolds’ Food Hall, Norfolk
The food hall truly comes alive at Christmas, says John Adams, managing director for retail. “The vibrant buzz and festive atmosphere provide the perfect backdrop to carefully curated ranges for foodies, gorgeous foods, gifts, drinks and hampers – many sourced from Norfolk, but complimented with handpicked gastronomic highlights from around the world.”
In order to captivate as many customers as possible, John says the business keeps its shopping and dining options open later – until 8pm – from Thursdays to Saturdays at the end of the year, “so our guests can take their time and linger a little longer”.
“We work hard to create a space that combines shopping with hospitality, and it feels more like a full Christmas experience than just a food hall,” he adds.
Big sellers, says buyer Jim Stevenson, are the food hall’s carefully selected cheeses, fine wines and panettones. It has become, he adds, “the go-to place in Norfolk for gourmet gifting”. “This year some of our standout products are the Galup cakes and biscuits from Italy, and newly launched tins of amaretti biscuits. Booja-Booja chocolates make a stunning present too – beautifully presented in jewel-coloured boxes.” Jim expects Mediterranean snacks and trend-driven pistachio chocolate bars to be popular this Christmas too.
Christmas shopping opportunities in Norfolk are even greater this year, with the opening of Jarrolds Letheringsett – the brand’s second food hall and farm shop, located near Holt, with its own butchery (featuring locally reared meat from the Astley Estate), fresh local and organic produce, and hand-picked hampers, which continue to be very important to Jarrolds’ Christmas offering.
“This year, our carefully considered collection of hampers includes a ready-to-order selection, presented in Jarrold’s signature boxes and traditional wicker baskets,” says Jim. “Each one is brimming with exceptional food and drink, featuring artisan products from our home county and beyond.
“There’s also the option to create a more one-off gift too, through our bespoke hamper service, allowing customers to meander through the food hall, hand-selecting every item with that person in mind. It’s a service we offer to help customers create a thoughtful, meaningful gift for a client or foodie friend.”
Regular tastings and food experiences are ramped up during late November and December, continues John. Evening wreath-making workshops with a local florist are being introduced at both Letheringsett and Norwich, while the retailers’ restaurants reflect the seasonal spirit – The Bay offering bubbles and oysters with a city view, and Benji’s Cafe serving mince pies and hot chocolate to warm customers’ cockles.
Jarrolds aims to be a full-day festive destination, John adds. “You might arrive to choose or pick up a gift, then stay for tastings, live demos, or book a return visit for your children to see Santa in the toy department.
“And our window displays are always full of seasonal promise, such as last year’s giant red bow, which was wrapped around the entire building, adding to the sense of excitement even before you step inside.”
John’s top tip: “Working in retail, food, drink and hospitality at this time of year is both joyful and intense. But it makes it all worthwhile when you see and hear people talking about Jarrolds being part of their Christmas memories and family traditions. By adding personal touches, from carefully considered menus, to attentive customer service, and rewarding customer loyalty, we’re always aiming to create truly memorable experiences. The key is to make each season feel full of anticipation, excitement and newness.”
The Lambing Shed, Knutsford
“Everything here turns into a Christmas wonderland,” says Helen Brackley, marketing manager at The Lambing Shed in Knutsford, talking about their Yuletide plans.
What draws customers in is the fact the shop truly celebrates local produce – particularly home-reared and locally-sourced meat, which form a focal point of most people’s Christmas celebration tables. “We want to really get customers excited about our butchery. We go to local farms for our turkeys and geese, and the beef and lamb is our own.”
The ‘homemade’ messaging gets even stronger at Christmas, Helen continues. “Customers really love that they can buy our own mince pies, and sausage rolls – lots of things made here.”
This has been a marked year of change for the farm shop, which upped its ante in events to huge success this summer – growing its family market exponentially. “We did a massive sand pit in a converted barn, and it really took off! We got lots more followers, and more parents came in with their children.” This has informed 2026’s Christmas plans. “Off the back of that, we knew we wanted to do something that wasn’t just Father Christmas and that wasn’t too expensive – something everyone could come to.”
As a result, in addition to themed afternoon teas this year, The Lambing Shed will have a Christmas trail for children through the shop – “they’ll have to follow the footprints” – leading to Santa, and there’ll be donkeys, reindeers and elves telling stories. Catering to families has never been so important, Helen thinks.
Helen’s top tip: “The key message is that we’re all trying to compete against supermarkets, so we have to support local and shout about homemade where we can. Customers need to know when they shop with us, they’re buying from local people and supporting the local economy.”
Suffolk Food Hall, Suffolk
Rebecca Neale, marketing manager at Suffolk Food Hall, says it’s “so lovely” to share the Christmas season with customers. “It’s a key time for our butchery, with meat orders coming in, as well as for our greengrocers, which provides locally grown produce to make Christmas dinner extra tasty. Our bakery and deli also have the opportunity to make different products using festive flavours and seasonal ingredients, meaning customers have new products to try. It’s a time to be creative and offer customers a unique experience.”
Once Halloween is out of the way, the food hall’s merchandisers flourish every corner with seasonal cheer, stocking it to the brim with speciality products, from biscuit tins and chocolates to mulled wine, home decorations and gifting ideas.
“We ensure Christmas flavours are available throughout the site,” Rebecca adds. “Including festive toasties and Biscoff hot chocolates in the cafe, as well as a dedicated festive menu in the restaurant. We also offer colouring competitions for children, and breakfast with Santa events.”
This year the food hall will boost its Christmas presence with themed quiz nights and shopping evenings, as well as two new Christmas murder mystery nights, which have already attracted high levels of sales. “Our Festive Saturday on 29th November will also see new plans, including photo opportunities, live music and face painting.”
Rebecca’s top tip: “Customer service always goes such a long way. At Suffolk Food Hall we are dedicated to providing customers with the highest level of service, and always aim to help, whether it be showing them where the hamper department is, advising them on meats for their Christmas dinner, or simply offering a bakery treat recommendation. All our staff are always approachable and knowledgeable. This can have a real impact on the experience customers leave your site with.”
Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham
The food hall comes into its own during Christmas, says owner Sangita Tryner – the Grade II listed building beautifully suited to adorning with all the trimmings. It’s transformed, she says, by an abundance of extra special food and drink, and their annual centrepiece – a huge decorated tree in the main window, which brings a real sense of joy and magic.
“Nottingham city centre is at its most vibrant this time of year, drawing in more visitors than any other season. It’s a perfect opportunity for us to reconnect with familiar faces who might not pop in as often, and to welcome newcomers who are discovering the Delilah experience for the first time,” she continues.
“The atmosphere among the team is electric. We bring in a few extra hands to help, and it’s heartwarming to see our experienced staff guiding the new ones—sometimes for their own sanity, but mostly because the fast pace brings everyone closer. The result is a stronger, more connected team—and a store full of festive spirit.”
As someone who is endlessly enthused by all good food and drink, Sangita says buying for Christmas is tricky because space is finite, and she often finds herself getting overwhelmed. “Every year I now have to take one of our staff with me to stop me running wild! We are always big on Italian treats at Christmas. I use three or four suppliers just for my panettones, making sure I cover all the flavours, sizes and styles and, of course, the quality has to be the best. Ollie, our brilliant deli queen, is responsible for the fresh buying, and always comes up with some winning new cheeses.”
This year the team have embraced the rise of Dubai-style chocolate too, introducing four bars from chocolatier, Danny’s Delights. “Dubai-style Turkish delight, biscuits and even panettones all feature.”
Delilah Fine Foods hosts a big Christmas event on the last Friday of November every year, which has become a calendar must for regular customers, says Sangita. The team create a market-esque vibe on the mezzanine, inviting a selection of suppliers to show their wares and present on stage for 10 to 15-minute stints, imparting their expertise, and sharing knowledge of how to use their products, which is invaluable.
Rick, (Sangita’s husband and wine buyer) will be there, alongside a wine supplier of his choosing, with tastings of the must-buy bottles for the holidays. And canapes will flood out of the Delilah kitchen, with chefs given free rein to raid the shelves for inspiration. “It’s a great foodie, boozy start to the festive season,” Sangita beams.
Beyond this, the true key to getting Christmas right is tastings, she adds. “Delilah is awash with sampling at this time of year. A lot of the products we source are not commonly available, and we love introducing people to the unknown taste sensations that the true magicians have created… our producers!”
Sangita’s top tips: “Keep things fresh and new. Always have something that your customers haven’t seen before – they come to you to be inspired. And try to understand individual needs. Show an interest and, most importantly, fit the budgets. Everybody is trying to sell to these people. You need to stand out from the supermarkets and chains, and that is by providing the personal service we all came into this industry to provide.”
Dining and Cooking