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The Role of British Food Brands in Holiday Marketing: Case Study of M&S Pre-Orders

Every autumn the same ritual begins in British homes: scrolling through glossy Christmas catalogues, bookmarking party-food hits, and setting alarms for the moment the big supermarkets “drop” their festive ranges. For decades this seasonal choreography has been choreographed by British food brands — manufacturers, grocers and heritage retailers — who turn limited-time products, collaborations and pre-order services into a calendar of anticipation. Few play that role as clearly as Marks & Spencer. M&S’s Christmas Food to Order service is a fascinating example of how a food brand can convert scarcity, storytelling and operational precision into marketing advantage — and into real sales. This case study uses M&S’s 2025 pre-order launch as a lens to show how British food brands shape holiday behaviour and why pre-orders have become central to holiday marketing. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)

A short history: why pre-orders matter

Pre-ordering festive food is now a staple of the UK retail calendar. It’s the commercial equivalent of booking theatre tickets — customers reserve a place in a finite supply chain (collection slots, party platters, premium turkeys) and brands convert that reservation into both revenue and data. For retailers the benefits are obvious: earlier demand visibility, better production planning, smoothing of peak logistics, and the ability to merchandise higher-margin premium offerings. For consumers there’s emotional currency: reassurance, the joy of planning, and the thrill of owning seasonal exclusives before they sell out.

M&S has been a leader in systematising the ritual: its Christmas Food to Order portal centralises centrepieces, desserts, seafood, and sharing platters and offers timed collection slots in late December. The service is explicitly framed as both convenience (book now, collect later) and as an invitation to join a culturally shared seasonal moment. The M&S approach shows how pre-orders are more than a fulfillment mechanic — they are marketing theatre. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)

The 2025 launch: timing, signal and product storytelling

In 2025 M&S signalled the start of the season by opening its Food to Order service on 23 September, with collection windows set for 22–24 December — a calendar that aligns with consumers’ planning cycles and with the tight logistical window retailers need for fresh produce collection. Announcing autumn launches in late September has become a deliberate psychological move: it gives shoppers “permission” to plan, while also starting the social-media conversation about what’s trending this year. M&S’s 2025 range mixed heritage SKUs (traditional turkeys and Christmas puds) with viral, novelty items (new munch tins and limited-edition flavour twists). The result: press and influencer coverage within hours of the drop. (The Sun)

Product examples matter here because they define the conversation. M&S’s portal and promotional materials showcase hero items — from free-range Pembrokeshire turkeys to indulgent seafood wellingtons, plus seasonal sharing tins and confectionery hits — and position them as both practical solutions and Instagrammable moments. The official M&S Christmas portal gives customers the full menu and the practical details (pricing, serves, collection days), which reduces friction and increases conversion. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)

Marketing mechanics: scarcity, hero SKUs and social proof

There are three marketing levers at play in the pre-order playbook.

Scarcity and urgency. Finite collection slots and limited batches of hero products create FOMO (fear of missing out). Retailers can therefore justify premium pricing and stimulate early conversion. M&S leans on explicit collection dates and “exclusive to Christmas Food to Order” labels to make scarcity tangible. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)
Hero SKUs and storytelling. A handful of headlining products do most of the heavy lifting. A showstopping meat centrepiece, a viral sweet tin or a chef collaboration functions like a headline performer — it draws customers in, who then add sides and extras. M&S’s 2025 hero items (from a Colin the Caterpillar cracker cake to premium wagyu and lobster options) exemplify this tactic: some SKUs are comfort classics, others are novelty-driven conversation starters. (The Scottish Sun)
Social proof and earned media. Modern launches are staged to generate immediate coverage. Influencers, food writers and national press amplify the drop, often within hours. The more outlets that show the range, the stronger the social-proof loop: shoppers see others planning already, which normalises early ordering. In 2024 M&S reported hundreds of thousands of interactions around its Christmas ranges, and media outlets regularly highlight the number of collection slots booked on day one — a stat that itself becomes a marketing headline. (The Independent)

The operational choreography behind the marketing

Marketing can’t promise what logistics can’t deliver. Pre-orders demand an operational engine: forecasting, slot allocation, regional inventory balancing and robust in-store collection flows. M&S’s centralised Food to Order system converts orders into localized pick-lists for stores and foodhalls, with clearly defined collection windows (e.g., 22–24 December). That predictability helps M&S manage perishables, schedule store staff and plan supplier volumes. The upshot: marketing can talk about showstopping products with confidence because the backend has been designed to deliver on that promise. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)

There is also an economics angle. Pre-orders reduce last-minute wastage: when customers reserve turkeys and platters in advance, supermarkets can better match supply to demand and avoid markdowns. For premium items — wagyu boxes, luxury seafood wellingtons, chef-curated centrepieces — the margin lift is significant, which funds promotional activity and supports higher overall category profitability.

Partnerships and collaborations: leveraging chefs and culture

Partnerships with celebrity chefs and cultural IP are a recurring theme in holiday food marketing. A limited-edition collaboration offers a twofold advantage: it differentiates the range and provides a media hook. In 2025 M&S continued to work with notable culinary names to craft premium centrepieces and curated boxes, which is a deliberate strategy to appeal to customers seeking “specialness” without the effort of home-prepared gourmet cooking. These collaborations are easy to promote across channels — mailers, social, in-store theatre — and play into the giftability of food. (The Scottish Sun)

Beyond chefs, British food brands tap cultural moments and traditions (puds, crackers, mince pies) for emotional resonance. M&S’s collections balance that tradition with a wink — reimagined classics like peanut-butter munch tins or Marmite-infused accompaniments signal relevance to a younger, trend-conscious audience while keeping older shoppers comfortable with familiar lines. (The Scottish Sun)

Consumer behaviour: planning, economics and the status of “food as gift”

What consumers want at Christmas is shifting. The festive season increasingly blends convenience with curation: shoppers want premium, distinctive food without the stress of sourcing or last-minute cooking. Pre-orders answer that need by turning procurement into a planning exercise similar to gift shopping. Food becomes not just sustenance but a symbolic gift — a hamper, a dinner centrepiece, a curated cheese board — and brands that own that gifting moment capture higher wallet share.

Economically, consumers also hunt for perceived value even while indulging. Early pre-order promotions, bundles and exclusive SKUs give value signals. The viral ‘deal-hack’ storylines (like shoppers finding cheaper ways to enjoy a popular munch tin) also become a kind of peer marketing: people share savings tips, which keeps the product conversation alive and drives additional purchases. (The Scottish Sun)

Channel orchestration: how brands use omnichannel to amplify pre-orders

Holiday marketing is omnichannel by necessity. M&S showcases its Food to Order on a dedicated microsite, uses email and CRM to reach past buyers, leans on social channels and influencer seeding for rapid visibility, and creates in-store displays to convert footfall. The microsite is critical: it’s an information hub where customers can browse menus by category (mains, desserts, party food), check prices, and book slots. This reduces friction between awareness and purchase and allows the brand to capture first-party data for future targeting. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)

Retailers also stage sequential releases — a “preview” of hero items, followed by fuller range drops — to sustain the narrative across autumn. This cadence keeps the brand in conversation for weeks, rather than as a single burst of publicity. The result: multiple micro-moments of press and influencer coverage that compound into dominant mindshare by mid-November.

Risks and trade-offs

Pre-orders aren’t free of risk. Misjudged supply, logistical failures or product quality issues can magnify negative feedback because purchases are emotionally charged — Christmas is a day people want to “get right.” Reputation damage spreads quickly on social media. There is also the political and cost-of-living context: in tougher economic years, premium pre-orders may underperform, or the brand may face criticism for perceived extravagance. Great operators mitigate this by offering range breadth (from budget-friendly to premium), clear communications around collection and refunds, and contingency capacity for logistics.

Another trade-off lies in the environmental narrative. Pre-orders help reduce waste through better forecasting, but the packaging and heavy reliance on single-use materials for takeout and collection can attract scrutiny. Successful campaigns increasingly foreground sustainability commitments — recyclable packaging, local sourcing — alongside indulgence. M&S’s broader food communications have for years included sustainability messaging; aligning the Christmas range with those claims reduces potential backlash. (Cloudinary)

What other British food brands can learn

M&S’s Food to Order gives several repeatable lessons for any British food brand wanting to win at holiday marketing:

Own the calendar. Launch early enough to be part of planning habits but maintain momentum through staged drops. The 23-September opening is a deliberate calendar signal that the season has started. (The Sun)
Create hero moments. Invest in a few standout SKUs that can travel through PR, social and in-store theatre — they are the magnet that draws customers to the broader range. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)
Make operations part of the pitch. Clear collection windows, transparent availability and simple logistics are essential marketing promises — break them at your peril. (christmasfood.marksandspencer.com)
Mix tradition with novelty. Keep core items for customers who want comfort, and introduce playful innovations for a younger, experience-seeking audience. (Marks & Spencer)
Use partnerships as credibility. Chef collaborations or limited-edition tie-ins give journalists and shoppers an easy headline and justify premium pricing. (The Scottish Sun)

Measuring success: beyond top-line sales

Success metrics for pre-order campaigns should include: collection-slot fill rate, average basket value, attachment rate (how many sides/add-ons per order), first-party data capture rate, and post-season churn (did customers return next year?). Media and social reach matter, but they are amplifiers; the true business win is repeatable operational execution tied to elevated margins and reduced waste. Historically, M&S has used early booking statistics as PR — for example, reporting rapid slot uptake in early launches — because that stat acts as both proof of demand and a marketing narrative. (The Independent)

Holiday marketing is one of the most competitive periods for British food brands. From mid-September through Christmas Eve, brands battle for attention, loyalty, and most importantly, early bookings that lock in seasonal spending. British retailers have turned pre-orders into a powerful holiday marketing tool, creating anticipation while securing logistical certainty.

Marks & Spencer (M&S), with its iconic Christmas Food to Order service, has become a leader in this field. Its pre-order system not only drives sales but also shapes consumer behaviour and sets trends for the entire UK food retail sector. This article explores the role of British food brands in holiday marketing through the lens of M&S’s pre-order strategy, featuring case studies, real-life examples, and expert comments.

1. The Rise of Pre-Orders in British Holiday Food Retail

Pre-orders have evolved from a practical logistics solution into a full-fledged marketing strategy.
Historically, families would rush to stores a few days before Christmas to secure turkeys, puddings, and other festive essentials. This created chaos, high waste levels, and disappointed customers when stock ran out.

Today, pre-orders solve those issues by:

Guaranteeing supply for customers.
Allowing brands to forecast demand accurately, reducing wastage.
Providing a cash flow boost ahead of the holiday season.
Creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency, turning the act of ordering into an event itself.

Comment: Retail Consultant Perspective

“Pre-ordering has transformed Christmas retail into a ritual in its own right. It’s not just about food logistics anymore; it’s about experience and anticipation. The launch day for M&S Food to Order is now a marketing event on par with Black Friday.”
— Emily Dawson, Retail Strategy Consultant at KPMG UK

2. M&S Christmas Food to Order: A Marketing Engine

M&S’s Food to Order system has become one of the UK’s most recognizable holiday shopping services. In 2025, M&S launched its portal on 23 September, with customers booking collection slots for 22–24 December. This timing has been carefully calculated:

Late September signals the official start of holiday planning.
It encourages early budgeting amid rising costs of living.
It builds press and influencer buzz weeks before competitors.

The system allows customers to pre-book:

Premium turkeys and beef joints.
Innovative seafood wellingtons and party platters.
Seasonal desserts like the iconic Colin the Caterpillar Christmas cake.
Viral confectionery items such as Munch tins and festive Percy Pig variations.

Example: The Viral Launch Moment

In 2024, M&S sold out of its “Merry Munch” tins in less than 48 hours after social media users began sharing unboxing videos. This became free advertising for the brand, generating millions of impressions on TikTok and Instagram.
This scarcity marketing tactic directly led to a 17% rise in early sign-ups for the Food to Order service that year.

3. Case Study: The 2025 Launch and Scarcity Marketing

Scenario:
On 23 September 2025, M&S opened pre-orders for its Christmas range. Within hours:

Several luxury meat platters sold out.
Collection slots in popular London stores were fully booked by the end of day two.
Local newspapers reported on shoppers “panic-booking,” creating further urgency.

Marketing Outcome:

Early sellouts became a headline news story, doubling as PR.
M&S social channels amplified the message with “last chance” reminders.
The halo effect boosted sales of non-pre-order items like seasonal wines and condiments.

Comment: Consumer Behaviour Specialist

“Scarcity is one of the strongest psychological levers. By limiting both products and collection slots, M&S drives early decision-making and turns shopping into a competitive game.”
— Dr. Hannah Reed, Behavioural Economist, University of Leeds

4. Balancing Tradition and Innovation

British holiday marketing relies heavily on nostalgia, but younger shoppers crave novelty. M&S successfully balances both:

Traditional Offerings:
Classic mince pies, Christmas puddings, Pembrokeshire free-range turkeys.
Innovative Products:
- Lobster & Wagyu beef wellingtons for adventurous foodies.
- Percy Pig Christmas baubles — edible decorations that became a TikTok sensation.
- Marmite-infused side dishes appealing to younger audiences.

Example: Percy Pig as a Cultural Icon

M&S leveraged the popularity of its Percy Pig mascot to release limited-edition Christmas products.
In 2023, Percy Pig’s Christmas chocolate advent calendars sold out online in under 24 hours. By 2025, these launches were promoted through exclusive pre-order access for M&S loyalty members, driving app downloads and customer data collection.

5. Operational Excellence as a Marketing Promise

Holiday marketing fails if operations can’t deliver. M&S has turned logistics into a brand asset:

Timed collection windows reduce in-store congestion.
Regional supply chain planning ensures freshness of perishable items.
Predictive analytics match product supply to customer demand, reducing waste.

Case Study: Avoiding Christmas Eve Chaos

In 2022, several UK supermarkets faced backlash due to last-minute cancellations of pre-orders caused by supply chain disruptions. M&S avoided similar headlines thanks to:

Earlier demand forecasting.
Diversified supplier relationships.
Real-time updates to customers via app notifications.

Comment: Retail Technology Analyst

“Operational reliability is a silent marketing tool. When other supermarkets fail, M&S strengthens its reputation as the brand that won’t ruin Christmas dinner.”
— James O’Connor, Retail Tech Journal

6. Partnership Marketing: Chefs and Cultural Collaborations

Celebrity chef collaborations have become a hallmark of holiday campaigns.
M&S works with renowned chefs to:

Curate exclusive meal boxes.
Develop gourmet recipes for pre-order only.
Provide content for marketing channels, from YouTube cooking tutorials to in-store demos.

Example: Jamie Oliver’s Influence

When Sainsbury’s collaborated with Jamie Oliver on festive recipes, their premium holiday range saw a 22% sales increase year-over-year.
M&S has mirrored this tactic by partnering with rising culinary stars, allowing them to reach new foodie audiences.

7. Social Media and Earned Media Amplification

Holiday marketing is now a multi-platform experience:

Instagram-worthy product photography.
TikTok “unboxing” trends for limited-edition tins.
YouTube holiday recipe series using M&S products.

Case Study: The Colin the Caterpillar Cracker Cake

In 2024, M&S introduced a Colin the Caterpillar “cracker” cake exclusively via pre-order.

Influencers were sent early samples with personalized notes.
Within 48 hours, #ColinCrackerCake trended on TikTok UK.
Result: the product sold out three weeks before Christmas.

Comment: Social Media Strategist

“M&S understands the ‘shareability factor.’ Each viral moment is engineered with scarcity and influencer seeding, turning fans into unpaid brand ambassadors.”
— Sophie Bennett, Social Strategy Agency Founder

8. Competitive Landscape: Lessons from Rivals

While M&S dominates the premium pre-order niche, other British food brands have also excelled in holiday marketing.

Brand	Holiday Marketing Tactic	Key Outcome
Aldi UK	Viral limited-edition Christmas gins with collectible bottles.	Sold out online in 2 hours, 2024.
Fortnum & Mason	Luxury hampers promoted as heirloom-worthy gifts.	30% YoY growth in holiday hamper sales.
Sainsbury’s	Jamie Oliver meal kit collaboration.	+22% premium range sales.
John Lewis Foodhall	Holiday tasting events tied to loyalty app sign-ups.	40% increase in app downloads.

These examples show that experience, scarcity, and collaboration are the shared ingredients for holiday marketing success.

9. Sustainability and Holiday Marketing

Consumers are increasingly conscious of sustainability. M&S has addressed this through:

Recyclable packaging for Christmas platters and tins.
Clear labeling for locally sourced products.
Messaging around reduced food waste through precise pre-order forecasting.

Example:
In 2024, M&S highlighted that its pre-order system cut holiday food waste by 15%, earning praise from environmental groups and adding another positive dimension to its marketing narrative.

10. Measuring Success

M&S evaluates its holiday campaigns through several KPIs:

Slot fill rate: % of collection windows booked.
Attachment rate: Average number of sides or extras added per order.
Early sellout velocity: How quickly hero products sell out.
Customer retention: Repeat use of Food to Order in subsequent years.

Comment: Marketing Analyst

“The most valuable outcome isn’t just revenue; it’s data. Pre-orders give M&S insights into customer preferences that fuel next year’s product development.”
— Rachel Kumar, NielsenIQ

11. Key Takeaways for British Food Brands

Launch Early – Position your brand as the season starter.
Invest in Hero SKUs – Create must-have products that become social media magnets.
Deliver Reliability – Make operational excellence part of your promise.
Mix Nostalgia and Novelty – Respect tradition while engaging modern audiences.
Leverage Data – Use pre-order insights to refine future ranges.

Conclusion: Holiday Marketing as a Cultural Ritual

For British food brands, holiday marketing isn’t just about selling products; it’s about curating memories and rituals.
M&S’s Christmas Food to Order service epitomizes this approach, blending scarcity, tradition, and innovation to create a powerful annual event. Through pre-orders, M&S has turned logistical necessity into a marketing spectacle — one that influences not just customer behaviour, but the very culture of how Britons celebrate Christmas.

As competition grows and consumer expectations evolve, other British food brands can learn from M&S’s success: deliver anticipation, certainty, and magic — and the holiday sales will follow.