Christmas Day is fast approaching and supermarkets are getting prepped. In recent weeks we’ve seen festive food ranges and star-studded Christmas adverts launch as supermarkets put their peak plans into practice.

However, with the cost-of-living crisis lingering on and much of the UK still taking in the impact of last month’s Budget, we take a look at what supermarket CEO’s expect this Christmas.

With budgets squeezed, many shoppers are planning ahead more than ever this Christmas. Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts says that the supermarket giant is “seeing customers buying gifts earlier” and notes that festive food ordering “has got off to a really strong start”.

Sainsbury’s is prepped for this deluge.

“We’ve got more delivery slots online. We’re really well organised to make sure we can really deliver for customers, because we anticipate, as always, customers will want to celebrate Christmas with family and loved ones and make sure they can get everything they need, with that great value and with that leading quality,” Roberts explains.

Its a similar story at M&S where chief executive Stuart Machin says “more shoppers are planning to pre-order and shop in advance”.

“We’ve already seen that in our Christmas food offer in stores and at Ocado as well,” he notes.

M&S’ food-to-order products sold faster than they’ve done in any previous year, adds Machin.

“Great news when it comes to our food Christmas ranges. I think we’re in a very, very good place. So we’re excited and we want to get ahead of the volume curve.”

Despite the wider gloom, Roberts says that Sainsbury’s is “seeing a lot of customer excitement about Christmas starting to build” this year, a sentiment also felt by Tesco and Ocado.

Machin notes that M&S customer research found that shoppers are “anticipating they’re going to spend more this Christmas than last year”.

However, Co-op managing director Matt Hood strikes a more cautious note.

“We have to bear in mind that while inflation is down, customer confidence is still not particularly high.

“I think customers will continue to be a little bit more cautious, but at the same time, we know from the amount of product that we’re selling, and people treating on Irresistible, that people are prepared to treat themselves.”

John Lewis Partnership CEO Nish Kankiwala agrees that “the consumer environment is still reasonably tough”, but adds that “what we’re hearing is people are waiting for Christmas”.

“I think there’s going to be a really good celebration this year..families are getting together.”

Asda chairman Lord Stuart Rose says that despite the “tough year”, people “want to see forward, they like to see a runway ahead of them”.

“Now that they’ve heard the worst news about the Budget, I think people will want to have a time where they get together with their families.”

At Tesco, 2024 marks the first time the retailer will be offering its Finest Chef Collection range in stores at Christmas – a selection which offers customers “restaurant quality food dreamt up by our expert chefs at supermarket prices”, according to chief executive Ken Murphy.

“We’ve launched 250 new seasonal food and drink products, including alternative centerpieces, like the Tesco Finest Scottish salmon plate. For the little ones and those who are young at heart, we’ve got our brilliant new Abominable Snowman range across food and non food, including sweet treats, soft toys, Christmas stockings and Christmas Eve boxes.”

At Ocado, this year’s Christmas food offer is based on “classics with a bit of a twist,” according to CEO Hannah Gibson.

“We’ve got things like halloumi in blankets with hot honey, and pistachio panettone, which I think customers are going to get excited about.”

Meanwhile at Waitrose, Kankiwala says the upmarket grocer has 114 new Christmas products, with his favourite being the sticky toffee pudding, which he says he would “very much recommend to everybody else”.

While preparation is underway and customer sentiment seems to be growing, do retailers themselves feel confident about their performances over the Golden Quarter?

Kankiwala says that from Waitrose’s perspective, “Christmas is going to be a very good event and we’ve got good product availability”.

Machin says that M&S is also “well set up for Christmas trade”.

“We know our customers are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with M&S. I think it’s the best Christmas food range I’ve seen in my time at M&S, and it’s the most stylish seasonal clothing offer yet.”

Murphy says while he can’t determine whether Christmas will be the best it has ever been at Tesco, the supermarket is “preparing for and betting on a good Christmas”.

“There’s always an element of risk but we think we’ve got a very strong plan, we’ve got a great product range and at great value. Based on what we’re seeing through customer behaviour, customer trading patterns, volumes coming through the business, we feel good.”

Retailers are betting on it being a strong Christmas and both them and their shoppers are well prepared.