Delivery and takeaway sales dip from lockdown peak

Delivery and takeaway sales across Britain's managed restaurant and pub groups are dropping below the peaks of Covid-19 lockdowns, according to the latest CGA by NielsenIQ & Slerp Hospitality at Home tracker. 

The latest edition of the exclusive moitor shows that combined sales in May this year were 29% below the level of May 2021. It is the fifth month in a row that sales have been below the corresponding period in 2021, when eating and drinking out was heavily restricted and consumers were spending more time at home. 

However, the Tracker also shows that sales remain well above pre-Covid-19 levels, with growth of 107% in May 2022 compared to May 2019. Delivery sales were 315% higher than three years ago, while takeaway and click-and-collect sales were up by 22%. Combined, they accounted for nearly 25 pence in every pound spend with the managed groups participating in the tracker in May. 

"After flourishing during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the delivery and takeaway sector has inevitably settled down as consumers go out to eat again," says Karl Chessel, business unit director of hospitality operators and food. "Nevertheless, our Tracker shows the market is more than twice the size it was just three years ago, and it now accounts for a quarter of managed groups’ trading. As the third-party delivery market matures, optimising sales and profits in it without compromising core eat-in business is crucial."


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