In a January where temperatures averaged out at a decidedly frosty 3℃ and Storm Éowyn, the UK’s most powerful windstorm for over a decade, arrived, plenty of consumers, sensibly, decided to stay indoors.

This provided the streaming sector with an early year boost, with spending on digital content and subscriptions increasing 8.3 per cent. With the second season of Squid Game and Harlan Coben’s Missing You both pulling big audiences on Netflix, it’s no surprise to see consumers opting to spend the cold nights on their sofas. This chimes with our research, which found that one in five (19 per cent) consumers used their entertainment subscriptions more than usual due to the weather.

The decision to stay indoors also gave takeaways a boost, with spending on at-home feasting hitting a year-long high of 5.1 per cent.

For those who did make it out of the house, lots headed to the cinema, which was 15.1 per cent up from the same period in 2024. Family-friendly hits like Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 saw cinemas seats filled, while awards contenders like Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown also drew a crowd.

February’s release schedule is impressive, headlined by the much-anticipated return of Bridget Jones. Experts are predicting her new adventure Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy will be one of 2025’s biggest box office hits. There is also the small matter of Marvel’s first release of the year with Captain America: Brave New World, which hit cinemas on the same day. We expect popcorn to be flowing.

Supermarkets enjoyed a solid start to 2025, with grocery spending increasing for the first time since August 2024, and up 1 per cent from their position in January last year.

However, shoppers still adopted the same savvy, cost-saving approach they were taking in the final months of 2024.

Two thirds of consumers said they are looking for ways to get more value from their weekly shop, on par with November and December, while 51 per cent are making use of loyalty schemes and deals. Taking savviness to the next level, over a quarter (27 per cent) of the consumers surveyed said they are seeking out discounted or lower-priced items, such as “wonky” vegetables, with 16 per cent enjoying post-Christmas offers on festive food.

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail at Barclays, said: “January’s figures are a positive signal that non-essential spending should remain strong in 2025. Despite expressing economic uncertainty and a cost-cutting mindset, shoppers are continuing to prioritise the things love – entertainment, wellness and evenings with family and friends.”

The success story for health and beauty continued with spending in January increasing by 10.7 per cent. With the advent of a new year and an inevitable wider focus on goals and self-improvement, many consumers have been looking to social media for advice and tips for new purchases. 

Almost one in five consumers (19 per cent) say they have recently been influenced by social media content to make a purchase, with those figures rising to 40 per cent for Generation Z consumers. 

As many as 41 per cent of the people surveyed told us that they have bought products to keep up with a wellness trend, whether that’s a supplement, vitamin or high protein food product. 

Speaking to the continued success of health and beauty, Johnson added: “Social media is increasingly influencing purchasing decisions – whether it’s a trending beauty product or a must-visit holiday destination. Looking ahead to February, which brings Valentine’s Day and half term for schools, it’s likely we’ll see more of this careful balancing act, with people continuing to seek out deals and discounts to enjoy the good times without breaking the bank.”

Dry January is becoming increasingly prevalent, with a third (34 per cent) of consumers telling us that they significantly reduced their alcohol consumption across the first month of 2025.

Despite this, pub spending increased 2.6 per cent in January – an impressive feat amid the cold weather and a UK-wide recovery from Christmas spending. This year-on-year growth is testament to the hospitality industry’s adaptability in offering alcohol-free alternatives as they successfully drew a crowd. 

Despite what consumers told us about their vigilance in cutting costs when grocery shopping, January 2025 saw a 3.9 per cent increase in spending at food and drink specialist stores. This, in tandem with one in 10 (9 per cent) consumers telling us they made a New Year’s resolution to cook more at home, bodes well for grocers, butchers and independent stores as 2025 rolls on.