Drinks sales top 2021 levels for fifth week in a row

31-Oct-2022 - Last updated on 31-Oct-2022 at 10:24 GMT

Encouraging sign: drinks sales exceed 2021 levels for fifth successive week but inflation holds trade down in real-terms (Credit: Getty/Caia Image)

Average drinks sales have topped last year’s levels for a fifth successive week, but inflation has continued to wipe out real-terms growth, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

In the seven days to Sunday 22 October, sales across Britain’s managed venues were 6% up compared with the same week in 2021, the highest uplift since the start of September.

CGA managing director UK and Ireland Johnathan Jones said: “It was another strong week of drinks sales in the face of some enormous challenges for businesses and consumers.”

Pattern of weaker sales

Six of the seven days saw year-on-year growth, thanks in part to mild weather, peaking at highs of 11% and 10% on Monday and Wednesday (17 and 19 October) respectively, declining to 0.2% behind 2021 levels on Friday 21 October.

This continued the year’s pattern of weaker sales on Fridays than Saturdays, as after-work drinking occasions have been cut with some consumers opting for one big night out at the weekend rather than two.

Category-wise sales of beer (13%) and cider (17%) were both in double-digit growth for the fourth week in a row while soft drinks (8%) and wine (6%) also saw positive inclines, though spirits sales saw a 6% year-on-year decrease.

Crucial period

This comes as last week’s tracker showed sales were 5% ahead of 2021 in the seven days to Saturday 15 October.

However, while this was an encouraging sign for the “crucial” last two months of the year according to CGA, rising inflation, which earlier this month saw a 14.6% increase to food costs, has continued to hold back real-terms growth.

Jones added: “Year-on-year growth is creeping up towards the level of inflation, which bodes well for Christmas trading.

“But with the economy and consumer confidence both fragile, operators and suppliers will have to keep working hard to attract people to the on premise over the festive season.”