Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant groups fell year-on-year for the 16th month in a row in February, according to CGA’s Hospitality at Home Tracker.
Combined sales were 5.9% behind February 2022, attributed to some consumers reducing spend while others opt to eat out rather than order in.
The 9.9% drop in the value of deliveries was steeper than the 7.6% decline in takeaway and click-and-collect sales.
The volume of delivery orders fell even more sharply by 13.3% - a reflection of consumers reducing order frequency but spending more because of rising prices.
Despite the extended decline, delivery and takeaway sales are still well ahead of pre-pandemic levels and accounted for 17p in every pound spent with the top managed restaurant groups in February.
Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “After booming during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, delivery and takeaway sales have dropped year-on-year in every month of 2022 and 2023.
“This is an encouraging sign that consumers have returned eagerly to restaurants since restrictions eased, but it also reflects the still-tightening squeeze on consumers’ discretionary incomes. Our research consistently shows that people want to prioritise the affordable treats of restaurant meals, and their spending will hopefully increase when household bills and inflation come down. In the meantime, we can expect more softening in the at-home market.”
