Over two-thirds of people (70 percent) in Britain are planning to have a quiet night in, either alone or with a small group of friends which may suggest the NYE dinner party is alive and well. 11 percent of people are heading to a house party and only 8 percent of people will be going to a bar or club.
A study published by
Tesco found that this holds for even the younger generations, 18- to 34-year-olds, where only 1 in 8 people are planning on going to a pub or bar to mark the arrival of 2019.
So, what are the reasons for this change? 40 percent are staying home to avoid the crushing crowds, while 32 percent of people are looking to save money believing going out to be “too expensive”. 29 percent of people say they “simply have no desire to leave the house” at all.
If we are staying in, we’re going to go for bubbles. As you’d expect, there’s a lot of fizz to be had, with 22 percent going for Prosecco for the countdown, and 17 percent going for Champagne. But New Year’s Eve is also a beer occasion. 1 in 4 people (25 percent) will be celebrating with beer – though it’s 40 percent of men and only 10 percent of women. There’s also further evidence of the increased popularity of abstinence, as 23 percent of the nation say that they don’t drink on New Year’s Eve.
Convenient drinks beat cocktails this New Year’s Eve
While the at-home cocktail trend is continuing to grow in popularity, only 1 in 10 Brits (10 percent) will be celebrating with cocktails. New Year’s Eve, it seems, is all about convenience. Over a third of people in Newcastle (37 percent) and Cardiff (34 percent) lead the country in choosing beer to welcome in the new year. Down south, 1 in 3 Londoners (31 percent) will choose Champagne, whereas Belfast (32 percent) will opt for Prosecco, proving there’s a lot to be said for a simple pour when you’re entertaining at home.
FACTS AND FIGURES
This report uses Tesco sales data from purchases compared to the same period year on year unless otherwise stated. It also uses Opinium research for the period 5 to 9 October 2018, polling a nationally representative sample of 2,009 people. Social media references have been gathered using Google trends.
