Dwell time key to Christmas sales in pubs and bars

Over the festive season, consumers stayed in pubs for longer, spent more per visit and traded up when the occasion felt worth it.

New data from The Oxford Partnership, using insights from Vianet’s Beverage Metrics, shows that venues were not materially fuller over the festive period, but changes in consumer behaviour boosted numbers over the key trading weeks. 

Average dwell time reached 145 minutes, up 16% year-on-year, highlighting a shift towards longer, more immersive festive occasions. In contrast, average occupancy sat at 63.2%, broadly flat on last year, confirming that trading gains were not driven by busier venues. 

​This change in behaviour supported steady, inflation-aligned growth in spend per head. Average total spend per head reached £26.37, with drink spend at £21.02, reflecting continued price sensitivity on drink-led occasions such as Christmas Eve and Mad Friday.

Food spend proved more resilient, averaging £31.43, reinforcing its role in anchoring value on longer-dwell, planned visits. 

“This Christmas showed a clear shift towards UK hospitality’s Christmas trading period was increasingly shaped by fewer but higher-value occasions, with performance concentrated into a small number of peak days rather than spread evenly across December," says Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership. "Consumers are still willing to spend, but they’re increasingly selective about when they go out. Success is no longer about filling venues every day in December, it’s about winning the right moments with offers that justify longer stays and higher-value visits."

Days and drinks

Measured by average pints sold per pub, festive trading was defined by a small number of standout days.

Christmas Eve emerged as the strongest volume day, while New Year’s Eve delivered one of the largest year-on-year uplifts, underlining its importance as a prioritised post-Christmas occasion.

While Mad Friday remained high volume, a slight decline versus last year pointed to shorter visits and tighter consumer control. Boxing Day benefitted from longer stays and food-led socialising, supporting solid growth despite lower throughput. 

Stout was the standout festive drink performer, benefitting from slower-paced, premium-led occasions, while premium and world lagers captured celebratory trade-up moments. In contrast, core lager and craft underperformed on high-volume days as consumers favoured familiar, recognisable choices. 

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