Hospitality Groups see sales flatten in February
February saw a 2.5% increase in total sales, including all venues opened in the past year.
Britain’s leading restaurant, pub, and bar groups delivered like-for-like sales growth of just 0.1% in February, according to the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker.
The figure is below the current inflation rate, adding to the sector’s challenging start to 2025 following a year-on-year (YoY) drop of 1.3% in January.
Additionally, the tracker showed that February delivered 2.5% growth in total sales, including all venues opened by groups in the last 12 months.
Pubs performed the best amongst the major hospitality channels for the third consecutive month. Like-for-like sales finished 1.7% ahead of February 2024, having been partly boosted by the start of the Six Nations rugby tournament.
With some consumers limiting their meals out, restaurant groups’ sales fell by 0.6%.
Bars continued a long-term drop in growth, with like-for-like sales down by 7.9% in February. The on-the-go segment of the market slipped 1.9%.
The tracker also noted that the hospitality sector had a slightly tougher month in London than elsewhere. Groups’ sales inside the M25 were down by 1.2% YoY, but beyond the M25 they recorded a marginal rise of 0.5%.
“We remain optimistic that spending will start to loosen, and brighter weather and big occasions like St Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Easter should help to rally sales,” said Karl Chessell, director for hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ.
