Delivery, takeaway sales slow in October as dine-in confidence builds 

At-home sales, however, are still 98% higher than 2019 levels.

Growth in delivery and takeaway sales in the UK has eased as consumers return to pre-COVID eating-out habits, according to the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker—but revenue continues to run at nearly double 2019 levels.

The Tracker, which measures sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant and pub groups, shows that combined sales by value for October were 98% higher than in October 2019, and 13% above October 2020.

The rate of 2021-on-2019 growth has steadily slowed from 206% in July to 176% in August to 130% in September.
 
The increase in delivery sales since 2019 has also been seven times higher than takeaways—said to be a result of consumers becoming more used to having food and drink delivered to their door rather than picking it up. Put together, deliveries and takeaways accounted for just over 27 pence in every pound of spending at managed groups in October of this year.

Growth in deliveries and takeaways continues to be much higher than in eating and drinking out. The October edition of the separate CGA Coffer Business Tracker indicated that managed restaurants, pubs and bars grew their sales by 3% on October 2019.
 
“For all managed groups, balancing at-home and eat-in business, and growing both without compromising either, is going to be an operational priority as we move into 2022,” Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said
 
Slerp founder JP Then added: “Takeaway and delivery sales continue to out-perform pre-pandemic levels. As more diners return to the on premise, we’re seeing the importance of digitalisation of the entire restaurant experience with an increase in adoption of products such as order at table solutions as well as continuing demand for online ordering.”