Restaurant chains enjoyed collective 6.1% like-for-like sales boost in cooler June: study
Pubs, meanwhile, suffered a hangover from last year’s heat-wave and football fever.
June proved to be a better month for eating and drinking out across Britain – although pub and restaurant operators experienced widely contrasting fortunes, according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.
The research, which collects and analyses performance data from 52 operating groups, with a combined turnover of over £9bn, saw collective like-for-like sales across the combined managed pub and restaurant market up by 1.4% against June last year.
Whilst pubs and bars saw a 1.2% decline in like-for-like trading, restaurant groups were collectively up 6.1%.
“Last June, pub and bar groups saw sales jump 2.8%, largely thanks to the mini-heatwave at home and England’s good showing in the men’s football World Cup, while restaurants suffered a 1.8% decline. This June the roles have been reversed, with more sedate conditions favouring eating rather than drinking out,” said CGA director Karl Chessell.
“These are encouraging numbers. Last June, the World Cup gave an overall boost despite restaurants suffering and to beat those numbers on a net basis shows some much-needed positivity. It’s tough out there but the hospitality sector is showing some much need resilience,” added Mark Sheehan, managing director at Coffer Corporate Leisure.
CGA is the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group and RSM.
Regionally, market performance inside and outside of London saw like-for-likes up 1.8% and 1.3% respectively. In pubs and bars, drink sales are said to have taken a bigger hit than food over the month, down 2.2% against a 1.2% fall in meals. Restaurants recorded a 2.9% increase in covers over the month.
Total sales across the 50 companies in the Tracker, which includes the effect of net new openings since this time last year, were ahead 3.7% compared to last June.
“A number of high-profile restaurant closures in recent months has culminated in a net reduction of sites in June, leaving those operators that remain to benefit from reduced competition. There are certainly more challenges ahead, but these results will be pleasing news to embattled food-led operators,” RSM head of leisure and hospitality Paul Newman said.
