Poor weather has dampened spend on the eating and drinking out market, with more consumers opting to stay home in the 13 weeks to 31 March 2024, according to Lumina Intelligence.
Penetration fell -0.4ppts year-on-year to 55.7% amid stormy weather and the wettest February on record. Consumers were out and about less during the period, driving a decline in the frequency of occasions, which dropped -0.7%.
The Eating and Drinking Out Panel Quarterly Download found that coffee and sandwich shops benefited from more frequent breakfast occasions, driven by a strong performance from Caffe Nero.
The coffeehouse group’s Honey Oat Latte, launched in January, taps into demand for specialty coffee and quality, aligning with current market trends, according to Lumina.
Coffee and sandwich shops, meanwhile, have also benefited from customers opting for drinks-only occasions.
The report further shows a recovery in restaurant dinner occasions, attributed to a rise in consumer confidence year-on-year, as consumers traded back up and moved away from QSR.
Evening socialising was less restricted this year, with restaurants seeing an uptick as consumers prioritised social dining over smaller, necessity-based food to go occasions.
Pizza and pub classics lost share due to a drop in QSR and pub and bar occasions, while ice cream and cake increased share, driven by a rise in dinner occasions.
For more information on the Eating and Drinking Out Panel from Lumina Intelligence, please click here.
