Boost Sales with Smart Seasonal Displays

Throughout the year, seasonal events bring opportunities for retailers to truly maximise their sales. From Mother’s Day to Valentine’s Day, Easter to Christmas, retailers can double their sales – especially if they have a strategy in place.

At Christmas 2024 alone, the UK Christmas confectionery market hit £853m, up £88m year on year, proving shoppers will still treat themselves when the display is right^[1]. But with inflation nudging grocery prices higher and shoppers watching their spending, retailers need to start implementing seasonal strategies to truly plan for the events and look to brands for support.

1. Break down seasonal events three mini events

Suppliers such as Mondelēz split Christmas into a ‘fast start,’ ‘build up,’ and a ‘last-minute’ phase. The ‘fast start’ usually begins in September, when around a quarter of Christmas confectionery sales now land. Sharing bags, tablets and self-eat treats appear first and signal to customers that the Christmas season has begun. This process of breaking down events into ‘mini events’ can be applied to celebrations like Easter, too – try something like this:

• Fast Start (September to October): Place sharing bags, tablets and pouches on gondola ends and secondary sites. Use a simple POS that says Big Night In rather than Christmas than Christmas, so it feels relevant for the moment – even if customers aren’t feeling festive yet.
• Main season (late Oct to mid-Dec): Dial things up with clear sign-posts on fixtures, such as ‘for the kids,’ ‘gifting,’ and ‘sharing.’ Ferrero research shows that 90% of shoppers will stick to chocolate brands they know and love as a part of their Christmas traditions so ensure you have those must-stocks front and centre before layering in NPD^[2].
• Last minute (final 10 days): Give more space to impulse singles, stocking fillers and price-marked packs. Keep fixtures tight and well faced; empty shelves signal poor value at the exact moment shoppers are stressed and time poor.

2. Merchandise by occasion, not just by brand

Crisps, snacks and nuts are now worth almost £5.3bn in UK retail, with strong growth fuelled by convenience and sharing occasions. Within that, salty snacks in impulse channels are worth over £630m and growing at about 18 percent^[3]. PepsiCo’s ‘Max Your Snacks’ guide is clear; shoppers buy by occasion first, then brand.

Here’s how you can execute the category the right way:

• Create small, clear ‘zones’ such as Big Night In, On-the-Go, Healthier Treats and Family Sharing.
• Group crisps, nuts, popcorn, jerky and dips together by occasion rather than scattering them across the store. Clip strips for jerky and nuts next to main crisps fixtures and chillers can deliver extra impulse pick-up.
• Use secondary sightings next to BWS, soft drinks and frozen pizza for cross-category missions like ‘movie night.’

3. Make value impossible to miss

Grocery inflation reached about 4.1 percent in May 2025, with chocolate confectionery among the fastest rising categories^[4]. Shoppers are still looking for little lifts, but they want to feel in control of spend.

Seasonal displays have to shout value, not just price:

• Use a mix of PMPs and standard packs, so you can signpost deals without giving away margin on every line. PepsiCo highlights this balance as key to sustaining category growth.
• Signpost multibuy deals in simple language; ‘2 for £3’ works harder than a cluttered bark of different offers.
• Where HFSS rules apply, use compliant space smartly: floor stacks near the front, plus strong signage pointing shoppers to the main aisle.

4. How to handle ‘Better for You’ options

Mintel’s latest snacking data shows ongoing strong interest in healthier eating, with many shoppers happy to pay more for snacks they perceive as better for them. That applies at Christmas and Easter too, particularly for parents and younger adults moderating their sugar intake.

Here’s how we can build this data into seasonal plans:

• Dedicate a slice of your seasonal bay to nuts, baked crisps, popcorn and cereal or protein bars that still feel treat-like.
• Use simple POS such as ‘lighter options for sharing’ rather than heavy health language, which can jar in seasonal fixtures.
• Make healthier NPD unmissable by giving each brand a block of facings, not a single token slot.

5. Five quick wins for your next season

1. Lock in your core range early. Use supplier lists from Mondelēz, PepsiCo, Ferrero and others as a starting point, then tailor to your shoppers and space.
2. Plan phased space changes. Put dates in the diary for when your fixture moves from fast start, to build up, to last minute.
3. Double up on high performers. Give your top five sellers double facings throughout the season to avoid gaps.
4. Cross-merchandise ruthlessly. Use clip strips, dump bins and chillers to take seasonal lines to where the missions are, rather than waiting for shoppers to find the main bay.
5. Review and repeat. At the end of each season, note what sold, what lagged, and which displays actually moved volume, then use that learning to sharpen the next seasonal plan.
6. Seasonal events are not going anywhere. With shoppers still craving small treats, but under pressure on price, the winners will be the stores that treat seasonal merchandising as a planned, data-driven event, not a last-minute pile-it-high exercise.

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^[1] Forecourt Trader: FOCUS ON: Six things you need to know about Christmas confectionery

^[2] Ferrero:Your Perfect Store

^[3] NielsenIQ

^[4] Kantar 2025