Restaurant and pub groups saw a sharp increase in delivery and takeaway sales as consumers opted to stay at home in the run-up to Christmas, according to data from CGA & Slerp.
The December edition of the Hospitality at Home Tracker shows operators recorded a 127% increase in sales by value from the levels of December 2019.
It is a sharp rise on the 2021-on-2019 comparison of 97% in November, reflecting the plan B measures impacting the sector as the Omicron variant spread.
The Tracker shows December’s delivery sales were 266% higher than in 2019—more than five times the growth of 47% in takeaways.
Delivery volumes now outstrip takeaways and click and collect orders by some distance.
By contrast, eat-in sales were badly affected in December, with the CGA Coffer Business Tracker indicating an 11% drop in sales compared to December 2019.
Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “Deliveries and takeaways have been a lifeline for restaurant and pub groups throughout the pandemic, and December’s sales provided another critical boost as eat-in trade dropped away. While the rate of growth may slow as 2022 goes on and Covid-19 restrictions ease, it is clear that the rapid rise of third-party ordering platforms has helped to cement deliveries in consumers’ habits. Mastering this market without compromising in-restaurant sales is going to be a major priority for all operators in 2022.”
Leanne Patterson, head of marketing at Slerp said: “Consumers are now accustomed to the ease and convenience of delivery, and it’s very unlikely that delivery demand will drop. As we head towards key calendar dates such as Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, there is a huge opportunity for operators to capitalise on this demand. By creating and marketing their seasonal offerings, savvy operators can use delivery, particularly pre-orders, to fuel sales growth, alongside their on-premise offering.”
