Historic rain forces 10th month of takeaway declines

Consumers are seen turning to the convenience of delivery instead.

Rain and new restaurants offering deliveries for the first time boosted sales via delivery in January by 13.9% compared to the same period in 2025.

Data from NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker revealed that like-for-like delivery sales in January were 7.4% ahead of the same month in 2025. This is a sharp increase from 4.1% in December, and the Tracker’s joint second-highest figure since the start of 2025.

The UK experienced historic rainy weather earlier this year, with some parts experiencing more than 40 days of consecutive rain since New Year’s Eve.

However, revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders dropped 9.1% on a like-for-like basis in January, as some consumers tightened their spending after Christmas and others switched to the convenience of deliveries. Takeaway sales have now fallen year-on-year for 10 successive months.

In a separate report by RSM UK, eating or drinking out (33%), takeaways (27%), and clothing (25%) are the areas where consumers are most likely to cut back.

With deliveries and takeaways combined, the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates that restaurant groups’ like-for-like at-home sales in January were 2.7% ahead of January 2025. This is fractionally below the UK’s 3.0% rate of inflation, as set by the Consumer Prices Index. Total sales were 11.8% ahead.

The growth of at-home sales means deliveries accounted for 13.8 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in January. Takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 5 pence.