The latest data from CGA showed average sales in Britain’s managed venues in the week to Saturday 28 September were 6% down on the equivalent period in 2023.
Annual sales were down on all seven days of the week, with heavy rain and floods hitting much of the country.
Modest growth
Sunday and Monday (22 and 23 September) were particularly difficult, with sales were down 10% and 13% respectively.
However, trading perked up a little on Tuesday (down 5%) and Wednesday (down 2%), while slightly higher temperatures and the Premier League combined to make Saturday (down 1%) the high point of the week.
Though trading across the whole month was well behind September 2023, with a weak first fortnight followed by modest growth during a burst of better weather in the third week.
All five main drinks categories recorded negative trading over the course of the latest week measured.
Disappointing weather
Beer (down 3%) fared best, ahead of wine and champagne (down 4%), meanwhile cider (down 8%), soft drinks (down 9%) and spirits (down 15%) all found trading tougher.
CGA by NIQ’s commercial leader UK & Ireland Rachel Weller said: “A sunny September in 2023 was always going to make year-on-year growth in drinks sales difficult.
“Consumers, venues and suppliers will all be cursing the disappointing weather of the summer and early autumn, and hoping for much better as we enter the crucial final quarter.
“After a challenging first eight months of 2024, improvements in both the conditions and consumers’ spending confidence will be needed to help make up some of the ground that has been lost.”
