- Insights
Christmas displays: key insights from German stores
Between October 27 and November 12, we collected data across German stores to analyze Christmas merchandising. Four key zones were monitored: entrance area, sweet section, bakery section, and promotional area. A total of 600 displays were recorded, providing a clear picture of seasonal trends.
Here are the highlights of what we found.
Promotional area: the place to be for Christmas operations
We wanted to understand which area of the store was the most popular for Christmas displays, and the result couldn’t be clearer:
87% of stores featured at least one Christmas display in the promotional area.
This strong concentration makes perfect sense. During an expensive season like Christmas, shoppers are more deal-driven than ever, making promo sections a natural destination for seasonal purchases.
The promotional area is the place to be for Christmas operations, far ahead of the entrance area (35%), sweet section (39%), and bakery section (38%). We recorded an average of 3.9 displays in this zone, ideal for grabbing attention. On the other hand, the bakery section had the lowest presence, with an average of just 2 Christmas-related displays.
Chocolate brands are the major actors of the Christmas season
On all displays analysed in German stores, one category significantly outperformed the others: chocolate.
Chocolate displays represented a remarkable 77% of all displays recorded.
In second place came biscuits with 15%, followed by baking mixes at 3%.
Top present brands in store during the Christmas season
Three brands stood out in terms of in-store presence: Lindt (22% of all displays), Ferrero (18%), and Milka (11%).
But what’s particularly interesting is how different the strategy of these three giants is:
• Lindt is everywhere: on all Lindt displays recorded, 25% were located in the entrance area, 23% in the sweet section and 44% in the promotional area
• Ferrero takes a more concentrated approach, with nearly 60% of the Ferrero displays located in the promotional area (the highest single-area count for any brand).
• Milka also had a consistent presence across all areas, with also a strong presence in the promotional area (50%) and in the sweet section (28%)
Spotted: original calendars from Red Bull, Aoste, Chupa Chups and Pringles
While the traditional chocolate category dominate, innovative products are emerging. Advent calendars from Red Bull, Aoste, Chupa Chups and Pringles shows opportunities for non-traditional seasonal products to capture shopper attention.
Want to know how your brand is performing across the country this season? We don’t just collect data: we turn insights into action, offering strategic recommendations and in-store support to boost your seasonal results.