Takeaways, deliveries double in October against pre-pandemic levels

However, year-on-year sales were down by 7% compared to October 2021.

Deliveries and takeaways now account for nearly a quarter of all sales at Britain’s leading restaurant groups, having doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic however year-on-year (YoY) sales growth continue to stall.

CGA by Nielsen IQ’s new Hospitality at Home Tracker shows sales by value in October 2022 were 97% higher than in October 2019—the last comparable month before COVID. Takeaway and click-and-collect sales have grown 55%, but deliveries have soared 236% as consumers switched to the convenience of third-party ordering platforms.

Deliveries and takeaways accounted for 24% of the total sales of groups contributing to the Hospitality at Home Tracker in October 2022, with eat-in sales making up 76%.

However, the Tracker indicates growth has stalled since the end of COVID restrictions. Combined delivery and takeaway sales were down by 7% on October 2021 - the 11th consecutive month of YoY decline.

According to CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food for EMEA Karl Chessell, the plateauing of sales since the end of restrictions is a positive sign that some people have reverted to eating out rather than ordering in over the last 12 months, but it may also reflect increasingly cautious spending as the cost-of-living crisis mounts. This could mean that sustaining sales and protecting margins will be major challenges as the squeeze on disposable incomes tightens.

The CGA Hospitality at Home Tracker is one of the leading sources of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market.