Delivery growth powers UK restaurant sales in December
Deliveries now generate more than twice the revenue of takeaways.
December delivery sales at Britain’s top restaurant groups rose 4.1% on a like-for-like basis, whilst takeaway and click-and-collect orders fell 8.4%, the third-largest drop of the year, according to the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker powered by CGA Intelligence.
Like-for-like at-home sales rose just 0.3% in December 2025 compared with a year earlier, after holding flat in November.
Across 2025, at-home sales exceeded the UK’s inflation rate in only two months.
Deliveries now generate more than twice the revenue of takeaways, accounting for 11.5 pence of every pound spent with restaurants, compared with 4.9 pence from takeaway and click-and-collect orders.
On a total basis, including new restaurant openings and sites offering delivery for the first time, December sales were up 9.5% year-on-year (YoY).
“Managing costs, the quality of food and relationships with third-party delivery platforms will be the three top priorities for restaurant groups as they seek to revive real-terms growth in 2026,” said Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food, EMEA, at NIQ.
The UK delivery service segment is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.11% through 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence.
This is attributed to the lasting behavioural shifts toward convenience-focused consumption.
