In a couple of month’s time, we’ll be having lots of those conversations again. You know: “What are you up to for the summer break?”
The culturally correct kiwi answer to this question is, of course, something along the lines of a chance to get away to a beach, or maybe a lake, to reconnect with the family and the dog, get out in the boat if you like that sort of thing, paddleboards, ride bikes, and the opportunity to wind down, chill out, burn a few sausages, have a few coldies, and live a little.
Sounds idyllic, but it is not what most people actually do. A myth. Fake news.
From our research on Christmas we found that for most people, summer breaks are not actually about this sort of adventure at all. Most people holiday at home (56%) and another quarter don’t have any holiday at all. Three percent holiday overseas and about one in five do leave home for a domestic holiday the way we’re all supposed to.
So for three out of four of us, January summer holidays are spent at home.
What does this mean?
It means that there are more people at home in January than you might think and that this is a time that is different to normal. During Staycations we do unfamiliar things in our familiar home environment.
It is a very active period for DIY projects, as people find time to get around to nagging maintenance jobs or more significant painting, building, clean-up or re-arrangement jobs that are difficult to get done through the year. This means a heightened demand for cleaning and home maintenance products.
It is a time for entertaining, BBQs and making the most of your outdoor living spaces. This requires provisioning for social get-togethers, whether it is tasty hors d’oeuvres platters, or craft beer tasting packs, or new ideas for the BBQ.
It’s also a time for micro-breaks such as day trips to the beach, or a picnic in the park, or a chance to get out to that native tree nursery you’ve been meaning to get to.
We’ve all heard, or maybe said ourselves, the excuse of: “No, we’ll take a break later in the year when the prices are cheaper, or it’s not so crowded.” This is another way of admitting that I am missing out on something fun now. Consequently, there will be a hot demand for small affordable treats to help offset the sense of holiday loss. This is a time when categories like deli foods, ice-cream, chocolate and wine will be naturally attractive.
The Summer Staycation market is a relatively untapped concept. Here are three ideas to get you thinking:
Put your feet up – a summer ‘be in to win’ promotion in which you can win the services of a helper to do your household chores for you over summer.
Themed Surprise Packs – a range of themed boxes designed for Staycations (BBQs, picnics, home cleaning etc each with a range of suitable products and a surprise treat inside).
Summer Cooking School – Cooking class experiences in-store (or a popup) when you can learn how to cook a Thai/Mexican/Italian etc dish and then take all the ingredients home and impress your family and friends.
