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Bucket hats, strawberry and cream sandwiches and Greggs sausage rolls soaked in KFC gravy have defined consumer spending in the UK this year.
We explore procurement across the country month by month.
January
Average temperatures of 3C and Storm Eowyn, which brought 100mph winds to the UK, posed a threat to life and kept consumers indoors. According to data from Barclays Bank, digital content and subscription spending increased by 8.3% year-on-year, and food delivery spending increased by 5.1%, a new high for the whole year.
However, in addition to this, online purchases of fitness equipment have increased by 60% compared to the previous month, according to statistics adobeSpending on supplements such as multivitamin powders and pills increased by 26%, and sales of fruit and vegetables increased by 24%.
February
As the weather warms, more than a quarter of UK adults (27%) plan to pay more attention to healthy eating. A third (30%) say they are paying more attention to ingredients and nutrition labels, and a fifth (22%) have considered or already grow their own fruit and vegetables at home.
27% said they would be more likely to visit stores and restaurants that offer “healthier” options, rising to 45% among 18-24 year olds. Popular alternatives include zero sugar foods (33%), organic or natural foods (29%) and low or no alcohol drinks (24%).
March
According to Which?, the price of Easter eggs has increased by 50% compared with last year, but the size has shrunk. – The result of a 16.5% increase in chocolate prices in one year.
Women going through menopause and menopause spend an average of £1,800 a year on products such as vitamins and smartwatches to combat symptoms such as fatigue and hot flashes, a survey has revealed.
Clearpay’s buy now, pay later service poll found that around 76% of women buy vitamins and minerals, 52% buy supplements and 40% spend money on hormone support to help manage symptoms.
April
The so-called “terrible April” price rises combined with soaring energy costs have left the average household facing a rise of £1,254 a year in basic bills, according to comparison website Uswitch.
Ofgem’s price caps have been raised for the third time in a row, with bills for typical households paying by direct debit rising by 6.4%, following a 10% increase in October and a further 1.2% increase in January, taking the bill to £111 a year and £9.25 a month.
This is 9.4%, or £159, higher than the same period last year, but £531, or 22%, lower than at the height of the energy crisis in early 2023.
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UK vets may face temporary price caps amid fears pet owners are being ripped off, the competition watchdog has announced.
The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the veterinary industry after 56,000 people raised concerns about the sector, including that they paid too much for medicines and prescriptions and were not provided with basic information such as price lists and prescription costs.
heinz Introducing a new fish and chip sauce that rebrands the classic condiment tartar sauce.
The food giant is urging consumers to think of its new sauce as “Tartar Sauce 2.0”, with packaging describing the contents as “Tartar Sauce” and listing ingredients as including gherkins, dill, salt, parsley and mustard.
June
Consumers are beginning to brace for the UK’s hottest summer on record – with four heatwaves set to hit between June and August.
Waitrose ice cream sales were up 10% on the previous year, while John Lewis reported that garden furniture sales were up 21% on the previous June, while sales of its basic Anyday handheld fan hit one million units in a year.
The National Lottery sold 18,600 tickets a minute on June 6, setting a record for the £208 million EuroMillions draw.
The EuroMillions draw, which ran over 10 weeks, not only generated the UK’s highest-ever sales (over £550 million), but also generated the largest charity return in the game’s history.
Marks & Spencer has launched a dessert sandwich filled with strawberries and cream.
The “game-changing” limited edition Red Diamond Strawberry Cream Sandwich, priced at £2.80, is filled with fruit and light cream cheese on a fluffy sweet bun.
July
Oasis’ long-awaited Live ’25 reunion tour kicks off on July 4th in Cardiff.
The tour sparked a sales boom for bucket hats, with even John Lewis reporting a 40% increase in bucket hat sales in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
Tesco reported record fruit sales as consumers sought to stay hydrated in the heat.
The UK’s largest supermarket said overall fruit demand soared by almost 10% this month “unprecedented”, with sales of berries, stone fruits, kiwis, melons, watermelons, pineapples, grapes and bananas all rising to record highs.
The grocer said it had ordered extra supply to meet expected demand ahead of temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius.
August
Greggs and KFC have teamed up to create “the crossover treat of the century”, a sausage roll soaked in gravy.
The two high street food giants have teamed up for the first time to launch Greggs Sausage Rolls with KFC Gravy, claiming it is “the mash-up the country has been craving” and is “deliciously delicious”.
September
The long hot summer has led to record-breaking swimwear sales at John Lewis, with sales up 18% in September and 28% in October compared with the same period last year. In late summer, department store sales of outdoor cooking kits continued to soar 42%.
Fake Labubu dolls – expected to be the best-selling toys this Christmas – have been seized amid warnings they could pose a potentially fatal choking hazard to young children.
Later this month, Intellectual Property Office It says more than £3.5 million worth of counterfeit toys have been seized at UK borders this year, with 75% failing key safety tests.
Of the 259,000 counterfeit toys intercepted at the border, 90%, or 236,000 items, were counterfeit Labubu dolls.
High street food chain Greggs has announced it will open its first pub within Fenwick Newcastle department store, serving unique beers and a menu featuring classic bakes and sausage rolls.
October
Charlie Bigham has launched a range of supermarket ready meals priced at up to £30 to appeal to consumers hesitant about soaring prices for eating out.
The entrepreneur said the new Brasserie range, which includes Beef Wellington, Salmon Wellington, Rooster in Wine, Duck Confit and Venison Bourguignon, comes as restaurant dining costs continue to rise.
Nearly half of adults in the UK (48%) have gambled in the past four weeks, according to the Gambling Commission’s annual survey.
When those who only bought lottery tickets were excluded, the overall figure dropped to 28%.
Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl is on sale, in which she writes about three alleged sexual encounters she had with then-Prince Andrew.
TGJones (formerly WHSmith) reports that sales of the memoir have increased every day since its publication on October 21. The retailer said sales of the book were three times its forecast.
November
The classic bagel from London’s Papo’s Bagels has been rated by Deliveroo as the most popular order across its global business, according to the company.
Papo’s, an independent family-run bagel kitchen, was the most ordered takeaway on Deliveroo this year, with its classic option combining smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion slices, tomatoes and capers.
Consumers have learned that fresh British-grown strawberries will be widely available to buy this Christmas after a company used new technology to extend the season to 12 months.
The Summer Berry Company, one of the UK’s leading fruit producers based near Chichester, is currently growing British strawberries on a commercial scale throughout the year, with the help of LED technology, through the colder months.
The finale of “Celebrity Renegade” attracted 11.1 million viewers. John Lewis reports that people started using the wrist warmers after presenter Claudia Winkleman wore them throughout the series.
December
High street baker Greggs is at it again with the launch of the first Christmas cards featuring sausage roll gifts.
The range, called ‘The Ultimate Secret Santa Surprise’, includes a £3.95 card printed with heat-activated ink which when heated reveals a code to redeem a free sausage roll or a vegan sausage roll.
The cards come with the option to personalize them with a few designs, such as adding a loved one’s face to a sausage roll.
In a rare bit of good news for household budgets, consumers have been told that Christmas dinner will be pennies cheaper than last year.
According to market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar), a turkey and all the trimmings for four people cost an average of £32.46 this year, down slightly from £32.57 last year and up 6.5% on the previous year.
Tesco has announced it will be giving away “quirky” Christmas trees to help people across the country embrace “the parts of Christmas that aren’t always perfect but are still just as wonderful”.