Average spend on eating and drinking out has risen 8% year-on-year, but remains behind inflation levels as consumers look to accessibly priced options, according to Lumina Intelligence.
The latest monthly snapshot of the Eating and Drinking Out Panel for the four weeks to 22 January show that inflation, energy costs, and the war in the Ukraine have driven up food prices and average spend.
While penetration has increased by 2ppts year-on-year due to the removal of Covid restrictions, the research also found that frequency has remained stable, with the rising cost of living preventing consumers from increasing frequency of occasions post-Covid.
Consumers have also moved away from food purchases during the most expensive day part, leading to dinner occasions decreasing by 1.8 percentage points.
Pubs and bars’ share of occasions has increased by 3 ppts year-on-year as consumers return to pre-pandemic behaviours, while QSR occasions have declined year-on-year, reflecting increased demand for delivered channels during the pandemic.
