Britain’s top managed restaurant groups achieved year-on-year growth in delivery and takeaway sales of 4% in July, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.
It is a second successive month of growth, following an extended post-COVID fall in sales that saw the Tracker record 18 negative months in a row, as consumers returned to eating out rather than ordering deliveries and takeaways.
Groups’ delivery and takeaway / click and collect sales were ahead by 6% and 2% respectively in July, but order volumes fell by 4% and 2%. This is an indication that trading growth is being achieved by higher menu prices, rather than by increased consumer demand.
Combined delivery and takeaway sales accounted for 14% of restaurant groups’ total sales in July, the Tracker shows. Food and drink took shares of 91% and 9% respectively.
Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said, “After the post-lockdown slump, restaurants’ delivery and takeaway sales may be settling into a new normal of modest year-on-year growth.
“This is a solid performance in the context of tight spending, but the ongoing drop in volumes suggests that price rises may be leading some people to reduce the frequency of their deliveries and takeaways.
“Until pressures on household bills ease, it will be difficult for many groups to achieve sustained delivery and takeaway sales growth above the rate of inflation.”
