Hospitality groups’ September sales sag

Like-for-like sales were 3% lower than in the same period last year.

Like-for-like sales at Britain’s top managed pub, bar and restaurant groups were 3% behind the levels of September 2021, the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

The Tracker—produced by CGA by NielsenIQ in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM UK—shows groups’ sales were ahead of pre-pandemic levels for the eighth month in a row, with like-for-like growth of 4%compared to September 2019. However, the dip from 12 months ago demonstrates the headwinds currently facing the hospitality sector—and with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index at nearly 10%, sales are much further behind last year’s numbers in real terms.
 
Pubs were the strongest performing of the Tracker’s three hospitality segments in September, with year-on-year sales growth of 1.7%. Restaurants’ like-for-like sales were down by 7.9% on September 2021 whilst bars’ sales were up by 16%.

In London, groups’ sales within the M25 rose 3.1% year-on-year. It follows a steady return of visitors and office workers to the capital over the year and a dramatic influx of people after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Beyond the M25, like-for-like sales were down by 4.5% from September 2021.

CGA by NielsenIQ collected sales figures directly from 74 leading companies for the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker.