According to CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker, there was a strong start for drink sales last week, coinciding with when temperatures hit 31°C in parts of the country and forecasters expect similar weather for most of this week.
Last Sunday (up 17%) and Monday (up 19%) saw double-digit growth in drink sales versus the same period a year ago.
And although Tuesday saw more moderate growth at 11%, Wednesday doubled Tuesday’s performance with a 22% upward surge.
After the short heatwave, sales performance cooled off on Friday (down 0.5%) and Saturday (down 1.7%) but this may have also been down to planned country-wide protests across major UK towns and cities.
Spirits and wine decline
As popular choices in warmer weather, beer (up 2.1%), cider (up 19.5%) and soft drinks (up 0.7%) all experienced sales growth, spirits and wine experienced declines of 12.8% and 3.1% respectively.
“Hot weather always receives a warm welcome from the on-premise, as consumers flock to beer gardens and terraces and it’s a welcome boost to category sales,” said Jonathan Jones, CGA by NIQ’s managing director, UK and Ireland.
“But as beer, cider, and soft drinks saw a boost in sales during the warmer weather, it was a different picture for the spirits category, which continues to see notable declines.
“It is crucial suppliers understand the spirit consumer’s changing needs, in order to create strategies that will attract people back to spirits from the other categories.”
Money remains tight
The improved sales figures mark a contrast to the start of August when sales slumped after a high during the football Euros tournament.
Jones said at the time: “The Euro 2024 tournament was very much a net positive for the on-premise, and after fans spent freely during the games some hangover to sales was to be expected.
“It’s a reminder that money remains tight for many consumers, despite falling inflation and the easing of some household bills.
“We can be optimistic spending will loosen as the year goes on, but venues and suppliers are going to need to stay sharply focused on value and quality to sustain sales in what is still a challenging trading environment.”
The Daily Drinks Tracker provides analysis of sales at managed licensed premises across Britain.
