26 July 2023

Sunshine warms up managed groups’ sales in June as consumers flock to pubs

Total Like For Like Sales Growth

Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups overcame widespread challenges to record a ninth successive month of year-on-year sales growth in June 2023, the new Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

The Tracker, produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM UK, reveals total like-for-like sales increased by 6.7% in June. The hot weather brought consumers out to drink in pubs—especially those with beer gardens and terraces—and sales in this segment were up by 10.8% on June 2022.

However, some of this growth came at the expense of restaurants, where sales finished 3.2% ahead year-on-year. The bars segment completed a difficult first half of 2023 with an 8.4% drop in sales. Combined sales growth remains just below the level of inflation, though the gap between the two has closed over the first half of this year.

Growth was even across the country in June, the Tracker indicates. Managed groups’ like-for-like sales growth within the M25 was 8.1% as London continued its post-COVID recovery—just ahead of the level of 6.7% beyond the M25.

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “These numbers highlight the impressive resilience of managed hospitality groups despite rising costs for businesses and consumers. People remain eager to visit pubs, bars and restaurants when they can, especially during warm weather, and pub operators and suppliers will hope for more high temperatures as the summer holiday season begins—though it’s important to remember that sunshine isn’t so positive for indoor-only restaurants. More interest rate rises may dampen consumers’ confidence and cost pressures remain for operators, but the long-term outlook for the sector remains good.”

Mark Sheehan, managing director at Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “The warm weather in June saw strong growth especially in pubs. Hospitality sales continue to show growth and following the better than expected slowdown in inflation strong signs that the worst of cost increases are behind us. We may be moving towards a period where we may see real growth.

Saxon Moseley, Partner in RSM UK’s leisure and hospitality, said “With June officially the hottest on record, pubs were the main beneficiaries as customers opted to make the most of the sunshine and fine weather. While restaurant like for likes remained stubbornly below inflation, the fact they continue to grow in the face of rising mortgage costs is a testament to the resilience of the sector and consumer appetite for eating out. With food price inflation falling for the fourth consecutive month, operators will be hopeful that margins begin to improve as we head into the summer holiday season.

CGA collected sales figures directly from 78 leading managed groups for the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Participating companies receive a fuller detailed breakdown of monthly trading. To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at andrew.dean@cgastrategy.com

About the Coffer CGA Business Tracker  

Participants include: Adventure Bars, Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Zizzi), Banana Tree Restaurants, Barkby Pub Co, Beds and Bars, Big Table Group (Bella Italia, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bone Daddies, Brasserie Bar Co, BrewDog, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron,  Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Dishoom, Dominion Hospitality, East London Pub Co, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Gusto Restaurants, Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Honest Burgers, Individual Restaurants, Junkyard Golf Club, KIBOU, Laine Pub Co, Le Bistrot Pierre, Liberation, Loungers, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, New World Trading Company, , North Brewing Co, Oakman Inns, Parogon Pub Group, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Punch Pub Co, Rekom UK, Restaurant Group (Frankie & Bennys, Chiquitos, Brunning & Price), Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, San Carlo, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Snug Bar, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda),  St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company),TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, Tonkotsu, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Wagamama, Wasabi Co Ltd, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), YO! Sushi and Young’s.

About CGA by NIQ:

CGA by NIQ provides definitive On Premise consumer intelligence that reveals new pathways to growth for the world’s most successful food and drink brands. With more than 30 years of best-in-class research, data, and analytics, CGA by NIQ provides the Full View(TM).

CGA by NIQ works with food and beverage suppliers, consumer brand owners, wholesalers, government entities, pubs, bars, and restaurants to protect and shape the future of the On Premise experience. Using the most complete and clear understanding of measurement and insights, CGA by NIQ provides a competitive edge to guide winning strategies for On Premise businesses.

NIQ was founded in 1923 and is an Advent International portfolio company. For more information, visit NIQ.com or www.cgastrategy.com.

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