Analysis of data from CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker, which measures sales by value in managed venues, revealed sales struggled for much of H2 last year.
As was the case in H1 2024, the spirits category suffered most while the Long Alcoholic Drinks (LAD) segment performed best.
Sporting fixtures and annual events also similarly helped boost trade while patchy weather made for tough year-on-year comparisons.
- See The Morning Advertiser’s analysis of the Tracker for H1 2024 here.
June
Sales started the second half of the year strong with a 9% year-on-year increase in the week to Saturday 22 June.
Beer was the best performing category with an 18% uplift, thanks to a combination of the Euros 2024 and Father’s Day (16 June), followed by cider (7%) and wine (6%). Spirits was the worst performing segment, with just 0.3% growth.
The last week of June then saw sales rise by 6% year-on-year, with the LAD segment again performing best as the football tournament continued. Spirits again saw tough comparatives, down 6%.
Trade peaked on Tuesday 25 June with a 71% upswing in sales against the same day in 2023 as England played in the final group stage of the Euros. However, sales were weaker towards the end of the week.
July
Drinks sales then marked a third week of above inflation growth during the seven days to Saturday 6 July.
CGA said the 6% year-on-year uptick was “particularly impressive” given the widespread cool weather compared to the high temperatures of 2023.
As was the case with the previous weeks, England’s participation in the Euros boosted the LAD category with increased footfall on match days.
The spirits sales also achieved marginal growth, attributed to post-match celebrations on game days.
However, the second week of July saw drinks sales in the on-trade slump back to negative numbers despite the huge Euros boost, with sales 0.6% behind the equivalent period in 2023.
It marked the first negative figure since mid-June as trade suffered by comparison to the warm weather of July 2023.
However, drinks sales then experienced the strongest trading week of the summer (up 14%) during the week to Saturday 20 July, thanks to warmer weather.
The day of the Euros 2024 tournament final (Sunday 14 July) sent sales soaring by 123% year-on-year, with beer and cider sales again seeing the biggest boost.
Though the month ended on a sour note, with sales dipping 6% below 2023 levels the week to Saturday 27 July, attributed to patchy weather alongside a lack of sporting events and an increase in overseas holidays due to the school break.
August
Pubs made hay while the sun shone at the start of August, with a 7% uplift in total drinks sales across the first week of the month.
Hot temperatures saw beer, cider and soft drinks all experience growth while spirits and wine gave a weak performance.
Though drinks sales again plummeted below 2023 levels between Saturday 10 and Saturday 17 Augst, with sales down 8% and 1% respectively.
Sales were impacted by unpredictable weather as well as hesitancy from consumers about going out after riots took place in some cities and towns across the UK.
Trade continued a difficult run at the end of the month, with sales down 5% year-on-year in the week to Saturday 24 August, marking three consecutive downturns.
However, the final week of August saw average sales finished 1% ahead of 2023 levels, thanks to better weather and the Bank Holiday weekend.
September
Moving to September, sales continued the downward trend, plummeting 12% overall in the week to Saturday 7 September.
It marked one of the biggest year-on-year declines of the year as the week struggled against “tough comparatives” with September 2023 thanks to poorer weather.
Trade then saw a 5% downturn in the week to Saturday 14 September, with wine the only segment to see marginal growth as all other categories were in the red.
Sunshine then helped boost trade back into the black, finishing 3% ahead of 2023 levels in the week to Saturday 21 September.
Trading in many cities and large towns was also boosted by the start of the academic year and university ‘Freshers’ Weeks’.
However, the month ended 6% down overall, with all five drinks categories recording negative numbers in the week to Saturday 28 September. It meant trade across the whole months was well behind September 2023.
October
Starting the fourth quarter of the year, on-premise drinks sales were 3% down in the week to Saturday 5 October, largely in part due to poor weather conditions.
Both the beer and wine segment saw growth at the start of October, with trade peaking on the Wednesday at 3%.
However, sales then fell by 5% year-on-year across the following week, with trade behind 2023 levels on five out of the seven days to Saturday 12 October.
The week faced tough comparisons as the same week in 2023 benefited from warm weather across and the closing stages of the Rugby World Cup – both of which brought consumers out to pubs and bars in large numbers.
Sales were once again down across the board for all drinks segments, though wine (down 1%) and beer (down 3%) fared best while spirits (down 14%) was hardest hit.
Trade then saw fractional growth of 0.1% during the seven days to Saturday 19 October, followed by a 5% year-on-year drop in the next week, closing the month with gloomy sales and weather.
November
Hopes were then raised for a strong festive season as drinks sales reached modest levels of growth after a tough autumn.
Sales were up 0.7% during the week to Saturday 16 November, attributed to a burst of brighter weather, Premier League fixtures and Remembrance Day commemorations in local communities.
Beer, wine, cider and soft drinks all saw positive numbers while the spirits category continued to see challenging trade.
However, cold and erratic weather from Storm Bert towards the end of the month pushed sales back below 2023 levels, with trade 9% for the week ended Saturday 23 November.
All segments measured recorded negative numbers, with the spirits category reporting particularly poor figures, down 20%.
Continuing the rollercoaster trade in H2 2024, average sales then edged back into growth during the last week of the month, finishing 1% ahead year-on-year.
It was a “welcome upswing” for the hospitality sector after a tricky previous week with fluctuations throughout autumn, CGA said.
December
The first two weeks of December were also plagued by stormy weather, with Storm Darragh singled out as a major factor on failing drinks sales.
Average sales in the seven days to Saturday 7 December were 4% below the same week in 2023 while the following week saw the year-on-year gap widen to 6%.
CGA said footfall was hit hard in the middle of the two-week period by Storm Darragh, with sales down by 10% on Saturday 7 December and between 3% and 7% in the four days either side.
While the weather was slightly brighter at times during the fortnight, sales were down year-on-year on 12 out of the 14 days.
Comparisons were also weakened by the women’s Champions League in December 2023.
CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland, Rachel Weller said: “Poor weather has blighted on-premise trading in many parts of Britain in recent weeks and some consumers are clearly still hesitant about their spending.
“LAD sales have been reasonable, but spirits suppliers are finding the cautious and value-driven environment particularly challenging.”
