Who advertises wine in the UK, and when
We read every Facebook and Instagram ad from 443 UK wine sellers over twelve months, from Meta's own Ad Library: the nationals, the supermarkets, online sellers and 202 independent merchants.
Who had ads up, who named the season, and when they started.
"Named the season" means the ad's own words say Christmas, Black Friday, Halloween or New Year. The start is the middle first such ad.
| Season, 2025 | Nationals with ads | Named it | Started | Independents with ads | Named it | Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halloween 17–31 October | 5 of 8 | 0 | – | 11 of 202 | 3 | 12 Oct |
| Black Friday 17 November – 1 December | 8 of 8 | 3 | 13 Nov | 21 of 202 | 6 | 28 Nov |
| Christmas 1 November – 24 December | 8 of 8 | 7 | 4 Nov | 30 of 202 | 19 | 17 Nov |
| New Year 26 December – 7 January | 6 of 8 | 4 | 26 Dec | 11 of 202 | 5 | 22 Dec |
When each national started its Christmas ads.
| National | First Christmas ad, 2025 | Ads up, 1 Nov – 24 Dec | Of which name Christmas | First Christmas ad, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Bros. & Rudd | 27 Oct | 48 | 27 | not yet |
| Naked Wines | 28 Oct | 530 | 108 | 1 Oct |
| Virgin Wines | 31 Oct | 258 | 129 | 2 Sep |
| Waitrose Cellar | 4 Nov | 105 | 42 | not yet |
| Laithwaites | 10 Nov | 1,178 | 253 | not yet |
| Majestic Wine | 21 Nov | 319 | 141 | not yet |
| M&S | 29 Nov | 1 | 1 | not yet |
| The Wine Society | – | 300 | 0 | not yet |
2026 as of 12 October.
Independent merchants with an ad up, each month.
Out of 202. Even in November, the busiest month, it was 28. All 8 nationals had ads up almost every month.
What to do with it this Christmas
- Start Christmas in the first week of November. The nationals' middle first Christmas ad was 4 Nov; the independents that advertised waited until 17 Nov.
- Don't sit out Black Friday week. All 8 nationals had ads up and only 21 independents. It needn't be a price cut: a tasting, or a case to collect in the shop.
- Keep going after Christmas Day. From 26 December to 7 January, 6 nationals and only 11 independents had ads up.
- Show your ads only to people near your shops. Most of the nationals advertise to the whole UK; your customers live a few miles away.
Ziild CMO plans your Christmas, makes the emails, posts and ads, shows them near your shops and waits for your yes. Start with your first brief: free, within one working day. See how it works
Meta's Ad Library through its official API: every UK ad that ran from 1 October 2025 to 12 October 2026 on a Facebook or Instagram page of the 443 UK wine sellers we follow (202 independent merchants, 8 nationals, 9 supermarkets, online sellers, chains and importers). We find a seller's pages by its website and name. A page that never names either can be missed, so these counts are a floor.
Seasons are 2025 date windows. "Ads up" counts ads running on any day in the window. We name the nationals and supermarkets, and no independent merchant. We show counts and dates only, no spend.