Takeaway sales slump as guests favour dine-in

Takeaway and delivery trade has dipped year-on-year (YoY) as consumers resume their out-of-home eating habits dollowing the pandemic – but sales across Britain's managed restaurant and pub groups remain more than double pre-Covid levels. 

The latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker shows that groups' combined delivery and takeaway sales in March this year were 119% higher than in March 2019. Three-year sales growth for deliveries stands at 382% – 19 times the increase of 20% in the takeaway and click-and-collect sector. 

Despite this, growth has stalled in the last 12 months as coronavirus restrictions eased and consumers returned to restaurants and pubs, with many tightening the purse strings as the cost of living rises. March delivery and takeaway sales were 24% below the levels of March 2021, when Britain was under strict Covid-19 protective measures and venues remained closed. Deliveries were 19% down YoY, and takeaways down 31%. 

Partners on the tracker are: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, BrewDog, Burger King UK, Byron, Côte Restaurant, Dishoom, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Honest Burgers, Island Poke, Nando's Restaurants, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Prezzo, Rosa's Thai, TGI Fridays UK, The Restaurant Group, Tortilla, Wagamama and Yo! Sushi. 

Karl Chessel, director of hospitality operators and food at CGA, comments on the findings: "Given the comparatives, the YoY dip in deliveries and takeaways was inevitable. It’s also a welcome sign that many consumers still prefer eating out to ordering in, and that their behaviour is settling back to pre-pandemic norms.

"However, the at-home market still represents around a quarter of managed groups’ sales, and it is very clear that the convenience of deliveries will continue to appeal. Optimising deliveries and partnerships with third-party platforms, without disrupting eat-in trading, is going to be crucial as we head towards the summer."

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