Delivery and takeaway are continuing to fall following the full reopening of hospitality venues, with sales down 29% in May 2022, versus the previous year, according to the latest NielsenIQ & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker.
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.
However, sales still remain well above pre-Covid 19 levels, with combined 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 spent 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,” Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said.
“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.”
Slerp founder JP Then added: “We are now getting better visibility as to what a post-pandemic new normal looks like and it’s clear that takeaway and delivery are an important aspect of the channel mix, representing a quarter of revenues.
“Operators are looking closely at the margins and investing into the channels that enable them to operate effectively, and provide consumers with enough bang for their buck.”
