The latest Daily Drinks Tracker from CGA by NIQ showed overall drinks sales by value in managed venues were up 5.8% between Saturday 30 March and Saturday 20 April.
However just seven days out of the four-week period saw growth, with drinks sales rising by 10% in the week to 30 March.
Trade then saw a 3% downturn between Sunday 31 March and Saturday 6 April while sales dropped 1% and 0.2% the following two weeks, attributed in part to the timing of Bank Holiday weekends in 2023 and cooler weather than a year ago.
Category wise, beer sales fared best during the four-week period, up by 14%, followed by wine, which saw a 12.3% overall increase.
Hardest hit
The cider segment finished 8% ahead of the equivalent period in 2023 while soft drinks were up 3.6%.
As has been the case for some time, the spirits category was the hardest hit, with overall sales down 18%.
The week to 30 March was the strongest seven-day period, with all five of the categories measured in growth, with the long bank holiday and Easter celebrations cited as having helped “inflate” figures.
Meanwhile the following week, between 31 March and 6 April, was the weakest with each segment showing negative numbers.
Reasonable growth
CGA by NIQ managing director UK and Ireland Jonathan Jones said: “Different Easter dates make day-by-day comparisons tricky but taken as a whole it’s been a solid few weeks for many pubs, bars and drinks suppliers.
“An easing of inflation and growth in wages have freed up the spending of some consumers lately, and this trend should continue.
“Although other people remain cash-strapped, we can be optimistic about reasonable growth over the rest of the spring and into the summer—though as always with drinks sales, a lot will depend on the weather.”
