Drinks sales see second week of negative numbers
The latest Daily Drinks Tracker from CGA by NIQ showed average drinks sales by value in managed venues during the week to Saturday 1 June were 1% below the equivalent period in 2023.
It marked the second successive week of negative year-on-year comparisons, after a 3% drop across the previous seven days pushed trade back down below 2023 levels, also attributed to wet weather, following more positive trading in the first half of May.
Mixed weather
The numbers were “tempered” by mixed weather across the UK, with temperatures notably lower than the same week last year, as well as “sub-par” trading across the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May.
According to the data, sales were down by 5% on the Bank Holiday Monday (27 May) while Sunday and Wednesday (26 and 29 May) were the only two days out of the seven day period to see growth.
Category wise, wine performed best among the segments measured with year-on-year growth of 8% while beer saw just a 1% uptick.
Brighter June
However, cider, soft drinks and spirits were all in decline, down 14%, 1% and 8% respectively.
CGA by NIQ managing director UK & Ireland Jonathan Jones said: “May was a month of two halves for hospitality, with modest growth in the first fortnight followed by marginal drops in the second.
“Mixed weather and ongoing caution in consumer spending is making real-terms sales increases difficult at the moment, but as the Euro 2024 football tournament approaches, operators and suppliers will be hoping for a much brighter June.”
