Now that we’re in 2026, it’s the perfect time to review the Christmas promotions and shopper activations of November and December 2025 – with 8 new promotions spotted, a few we’ve seen before, and a whole host of festive point-of-sale materials.
Promotional displays & point-of-sale (POS)
With heavy traffic to retailers during the holiday season, it’s an opportunity for retailers and brands to include POS displays in their shopper marketing strategy (and an opportunity for HFSS category brands to test the strength of POS prior to Jan 1st restrictions on advertising), as more consumers visit supermarkets during Christmas time.
During the Insights team’s visit to ASDA, there was a selection of POS displays in-store with a few notable activations that stood out. In the following, we’ll go over the kinds of promotional displays used and how the POS materials are leveraged by ASDA.
In ASDA, there were a number of brand takeovers. A few notable examples were the Ben & Jerry’s and Viv Era takeovers found in the fridge and freezer sections.
Full brand takeovers in these sections and areas are a little more uncommon. But with these POS displays, especially in Ben & Jerry’s takeover, alongside aisle fins and on-shelf displays, they’re leveraging decals, a POS display that is mostly unique to the refrigerated sections, to curate a creative full-scale takeover.
There was also a strong presence of brand takeovers in the confectionary – especially chocolate aisles and shelves. Often combining overhead signage or backboards and aisle fins to garner shopper attention.
Backboard displays and hero headers are becoming more popular in the promotional space – there have been several examples – in isolation and as part of a brand takeover. The main challenge of displays like these is the issue of visibility. If the backboard displays are not elevated or lit properly, brands risk losing out on POS messaging and the expense of producing and installing that POS display. Copy becomes difficult to read, and the overall display can be easily overlooked.
Aisle fins are a common and effective way to highlight promotions. As a display, it projects the messaging out to shoppers without them having to look directly at the shelves. They highlight your brand in a busy aisle and can signpost shopper activations in-store.
Alternatively, shelf-stoppers and aisle fins can be used to highlight the uses and various unique points of a product. For example, in the ASDA beer aisle, there was an aisle fin, as seen on the right in the image above, which listed and explained the flavour profiles of various beer brands. Similarly for Napolina’s brand takeover, there were also aisle fins which listed various Napolina products and their flavours. With a large variety of products in the same category, having an informative POS can help customers digest information and make a decision if they’re not sure what they want or need.
There were also a number of FSDUs spotted in ASDA. Most were found at the end caps of aisles where there is the most foot traffic. However, a few were found in the middle of aisles. Whilst there is not as much foot traffic and it can potentially block certain brands on the shelf, the unique positioning makes the FSDU stand out.
With the main prize of an après-ski escape alongside Aperol merchandise like earmuffs and jumpers, this promotion is live over the entire 2025–2026 winter season.
Key promotional features and mechanics implemented include a unique code (otherwise known as unique reference numbers, or URNs) that customers can locate on-pack and then submit onto Aperol’s promotional webpage, which will grant them access to the entry form.
A prize draw is the main mechanic used to decide the headline-prize winner. Instant wins or winning moments were also used, distributing 250 different, ‘smaller’ prizes with a simple ‘spin-to-win’ animation to gamify the experience for participants.
For their ‘Big Milk’ product line, Arla has yet again worked with the iconic children’s book, The Gruffalo, for their yearly on-pack promotion. Available on their large milk containers and smaller 4-pack carton box, this promotion is a monthly prize draw with 10 winners of various The Gruffalo merchandise for each month of the promotion.
The insights team discovered that both pack types included different versions of the short terms and conditions on the packaging.
We noticed that the short terms and conditions fall short of what the CAP code outlines and what the ASA typically expects from significant terms on promotional packaging. Whilst some entry requirements are listed, other information like open and close dates is not noted. Whilst the multipack included a small bubble above the short terms, which includes some additional information such as prizes available that the single milk jug does not have, it still lacks several significant terms on the packaging that prevent it from being fully CAP compliant.
With receipt validation in the initial entry form as proof of purchase, Butterkist’s partnership promotion with Wicked: For Good is a continuation of their promotion from 2024, which was in partnership with Act One of the musical-movie duology.
Featured on its own microsite, the entry process is straightforward and seamless for the participant – with only one page between the landing page and the entry confirmation page on their microsite.
For winner selection, this promotion opts to use the prize draw mechanic, with monthly draws, offering various Wicked memorabilia, and a grand prize draw, offering one winner a “3-night trip to Luleå, Sweden for winner & 3 guests (3 adults or 1 adult and 2 under 16’s) incl. flights, accommodation & a 2 hour guided tour.”
The ‘Grab A Grand’ promotion is a recurring promotion by Flipz which uses a batch-and-barcode purchase validation for proof of purchase and stipulates that the original receipt may be requested for further validation after winning.
It’s a weekly prize draw running for 13 weeks during its main promotional period, wrapping up with one “Final Draw Period”. In total, giving away £14,000 with £1,000 per draw.
Entry into the promotion is made simple through their microsite, which features a simple one-page form before submission.
In an attempt to reach outside their existing customers, Geeta’s, a food company specialising in Indian cuisine with a wild array of sauces, chutneys and cooking kits, held a money-back guarantee (MBG) promotion. This promotion type is a great way to invite shoppers to try a new product, as it increases purchasing confidence when the shopper knows the cost is refundable. Geeta’s has included a feedback box on their microsite which creates a great opportunity to get customer feedback and also acts as a barrier to prevent bad actors.
Proof of purchase is an important mechanic for any ‘purchase necessary’ promotion but is critical for money-back guarantee promotions. One of the most secure ways to do this is through receipt validations. Although it’s one of the more time-consuming ways to check for purchase, the process can be sped up by automating with receipt robotics.
On offer by ASDA for the gift-giving season was a free whisky glass with the purchase of a bottle of whisky. With large overhead signs, a backboard display, and endcap attachments on the side, reading “give a gift rich with character”, this promotion headlined the central message used by ASDA for the gift-giving season.
Coffee liqueur brand Kahlua worked with chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely in a partnership campaign. Having launched their “Espresso Martony” in April, they added excitement for customers with a gift-with-purchase and prize-draw promotion.
For their gift with purchase, it was a small Tony’s chocolate bar, attached to the neck of the bottle. Although it’s not initially obvious that it’s a prize draw as well, on the back of the attached gift is a QR code leading to a promotional page which uses just one page for the participant’s details to enter the promotion. On-pack, there is no weblink, whilst there is a QR code provided; having a link available as well gives the participant a way to access the promotion if they’re unable to scan the code. There were no short terms found on the promotional pack, which is required for a compliant promotion, as significant terms must be on all promotional materials with minor exceptions from factors such as space. Terms such as 'eligibility requirements' and 'opening and closing dates' are crucial to avoid unnecessary disappointment to entrants.
This promotion by Mutti includes both the main promotional period’s prize draw and a late entry draw. With it being a purchase-necessary promotion, proof of purchase was implemented via receipt validation.
Followed by the one-page entry form, a short video plays which reveals whether or not the participant is a winner.
If you’re interested in getting more insights on prize promotions and shopper activation techniques employed by the UK’s biggest retailers, you can read our previous Promotions Seen articles. For specifically more on Christmas 2025, you can read our last article, Tesco September - October 2025 | Promotions Seen, which includes insights into brands such as Jam Shed, Benecol, Cadbury, Green Giant and many more.
To find out how your brand can build and host seasonal promotions with an end-to-end platform. Speak to one of our experts at no cost. Consider using the PromoNow platform. Speak with a platform consultant at +44 (0)20 380 555 38 or email hello@promo-now.com to learn more.
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