Real-time consumption data from busy bars and restaurants around the country indicates that nearly 30 percent of on-premise sales happen for bars and restaurants in Q4
Austin, TX (Oct. 2, 2023) – Union—a data-driven hospitality engagement platform—has released a new OnPrem Insights report covering consumption trends for the months of October, November and December, known within the beverage industry as the “O-N-D” period. According to data from more than a thousand Union venues throughout the U.S., nearly 30 percent of annual sales happen in Q4.
“With a holiday falling in every month during the OND period ‘tis the season for venues to capitalize on the influx of out-of-town guests, holiday parties and people going out to celebrate,” said Layne Cox, Union’s chief marketing officer. “One of the biggest takeaways we saw in this study was that the Saturday before Halloween was the biggest sales day of the year. Many operators typically plan special packages and programs for New Year’s Eve, but with this new data they should start focusing on Halloween premium drink specials and promotions that can maximize their traffic on the weekends surrounding Oct. 31.”
Union’s report provides a range of insights that bars and restaurants should keep in mind to prepare for the OND season, such as:
Thanksgiving Wednesday is a Big Deal On-Premise – While Thanksgiving Day is typically a low point on-premise, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the biggest Wednesday of the entire year at high-volume venues. This is likely the case because many people have the day off, and some younger drinking-age consumers participate in “Drinksgiving,” a bar-focused gathering of friends the night before Thanksgiving.
The Average Price of a Wine Order Spikes for Christmas and New Year’s Eve Celebrations – While beer, cocktail, and liquor orders don’t rise much for holiday occasions, average wine orders, per drink, spike by nearly double, to $20 per drink on Christmas Eve and $19 on New Year’s Eve. Wine also sells a larger share in OND compared to the rest of the year, representing about 9 percent growth in Q4.
Vodka, Tequila and Whiskey Reign Supreme in OND – The best selling spirit brands at Union venues in 2022 were Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Casamigos and Jameson respectively. While Casamigos may be trailing Tito’s, it was the star Spirit in Q4 2022 at Union venues, with an envious growth rate of almost 40 percent compared to the prior quarter.
To read Union’s full OND study, visit: here. For more information on Union, visit www.getunion.com. To learn more about OnPrem Insights by Union, visit https://getunion.com/onprem-insights/.
About OnPrem Insights by Union
Union’s OnPrem Insights is a rich data source that provides the hospitality industry with a granular, precise view of on-premise consumer consumption behavior. The reports cover beverage industry trends and uncover consumer purchasing patterns, which allow busy bars and restaurants as well as beverage and alcohol brands to better understand their consumers, the marketplace and identify growth opportunities. The reports are based on Union’s proprietary GuestMatch and MenuMatch intelligence and on-premise consumption data over a thousand of Union venues, serving millions of guests 21+ across 34 U.S. states. Union data is based on actual customer orders, not indirect methods like cases sold into the bars or surveys. To learn more or to download Union OnPrem Insights reports, visit https://getunion.com/onprem-insights/.
About UnionUnion is a hospitality engagement platform leveraging industrial-grade data intelligence to deliver transformative experiences for guests, operators, and brands at the most popular venues across the country. Designed by over 50 hospitality venue owners from some of the highest volume locations in the country, the Union engagement platform was built specifically to meet the needs of high-volume bars and restaurants, while taking a revolutionary approach to connecting consumers and brands on-premise. Follow Union on Facebook and Instagram or visit getUnion.com.
