Insight & Intel
Insight & Intel: September 2026
Plan ahead with new seasonal shopping insights
As advertisers look ahead to the second half of the year, our latest work.shop.play. insights point to a number of important seasonal moments for planning campaigns and communications. Christmas is by far the standout occasion, with 87% saying they spend more than usual and average anticipated spend reaching £641. Planning also starts early, with 60% beginning their Christmas shopping at least a month in advance. Black Friday plays a supporting role, with a third actively looking for deals and 21% using the event to buy Christmas gifts. Halloween also offers opportunity, particularly for family audiences, with 47% buying sweets and 30% purchasing seasonal items. For more information, or to receive a full copy of our seasonal shopping insights, contact your Global Account Manager.
discover work.shop.play.
Belfast’s first Fleadh was a landmark week for the city
Belfast’s first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann proved a landmark week for the city, delivering a strong boost to footfall, local business and the wider visitor economy. The event generated an estimated £65 million for economy, underlining its value as both a cultural celebration and commercial moment. Public transport also reflected the scale of audience movement, with Translink recording more than 1.7 million passenger journeys across its bus and rail network during the Fleadh, including over 620,000 additional journeys compared with the equivalent period last year. With the Fleadh set to return to Belfast in 2027, reach out to your Global Account Manager to get ahead and begin planning your Fleadh campaign.
plan your Fleadh '27 campaign
Global outdoor takes centre stage at the Fleadh
This year’s Belfast Fleadh gave brands a brilliant opportunity to be part of one of the city’s biggest cultural moments. Across billboards, buses, PulseHub D6s, StreetHub and 6 Sheets, advertisers brought energy, colour and creativity to the festival as audiences moved across Belfast. With buses providing vital services during city centre road closures, and PulseHub and StreetHub formats located right in the middle of the action, Global helped take campaigns closer to audiences throughout the week. From Centra’s playful “Jambons n’ Jigs” creative to Red Bull’s full-motion Pulsehub D6 campaign, alongside Four Star Pizza, Asahi, Translink and Nomadic Watches, who delivered memorable campaigns on bus Supersides, towering above festival-goers across Belfast.
watch the video
Retailer Abercrombie & Fitch opens in Belfast
Abercrombie & Fitch has opened its first Northern Ireland store at Victoria Square, adding further momentum to Belfast’s retail landscape. The new womenswear and menswear destination brings the American lifestyle brand’s contemporary, everyday offer to the city, reflecting its modern positioning around timeless style. Its arrival signals continued confidence in Belfast as a destination for international brands and strengthens the group’s footprint alongside sister brand Hollister, which has traded in Belfast since 2008. For advertisers, this is a sign of a buoyant city centre: a place where global brands are investing, consumers are engaged and retail destinations continue to evolve.
advertise in Belfast
High Street Heroes launches with bus and billboards
Following a landmark week for Belfast during the Fleadh, Retail NI launched its High Street Heroes Awards 2026, inviting the public to celebrate the independent retailers, teams and services that keep Northern Ireland’s high streets thriving. With winners decided entirely by public vote, the campaign shines a light on the local businesses that support communities every day – from family-run shops and eateries to neighbourhood police officers. Global is proud to help drive awareness and participation through its outdoor portfolio, including bus T-Sides and billboards. The campaign is a timely reminder of the value of vibrant, connected high streets, and the role local retail plays in making places people want to visit, live and invest in.
discover our outdoor advertising locations
Global delivers huge scale across UK radio
Global has delivered a strong set of Q2 2026 RAJAR results, reaching 29 million weekly listeners, with 283 million listening hours and a 27.5% share. Radio itself continues to thrive, reaching a record 51 million adults across the UK every week. Global remains the UK’s biggest commercial radio group, with Heart, Capital and Smooth holding the top three commercial brand spots. Heart is now the UK’s biggest radio brand, reaching 12.8 million listeners, while LBC achieved a record 3.7 million. Classic FM also enjoyed strong growth, reaching 4.5 million listeners. To advertise across the UK’s best-loved radio stations or DAX – our pioneering digital advertising exchange, reach out to your Global NI account manager.
read the full story
careers.
careers.
careers.
careers.
Working at Global isn’t just a job – it’s an experience.
global careers
