COVID-19: a message to partners from CGA CEO Phil Tate

In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, read what our Group Chief Executive Phil Tate has to share. We've now launched a section on our website containing our most up-to-date data on COVID-19’s impact on the out-of-home industry. This site will be an ever-developing resource for you to call upon, providing you with accurate, measured insights, analytics and thought leadership from our team of experts across the UK and U.S. 

In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, we want to reach out to our clients, partners and business leaders in the industry to share how we are supporting and advocating for you.

Supporting you 

As ever, we are dedicated to hospitality’s collective success, and will continue to measure and report with clarity and quality in order to protect the eating and drinking out industry.

We’ve now launched a section on our website containing our most up-to-date data on COVID-19’s impact on the out-of-home industry. This site will be an ever-developing resource for you to call upon, providing you with accurate, measured insights, analytics and thought leadership from our team of experts across the UK and U.S.

Here’s what it will include:

In Great Britain: 

With residents being urged to avoid pubs and bars, hospitality businesses are on the frontline of COVID-19’s impact. We are pleased to see UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s new financial measures but we know there is more work to be done.

So, for the period of the outbreak, CGA will be publishing weekly reports to capture the sales impact as well as changes in consumer behaviour across the UK in response to government recommendations such as avoiding large gatherings, travel limitations, closures and social distancing. Our aim is to help everyone better navigate this rapidly changing situation by arming us all with the hard facts.

In addition, we are sharing these findings with Kate Nicholls, CEO at UKHospitality to continue to lobby the Government for further support. We will publish the weekly results on our website and to the media every Friday morning to ensure that the industry is kept up-to-date and front of mind.

In the United States:

With bars and restaurants impacted by city-wide lockdowns across the country, it’s clear that COVID-19 is having a very real impact on the on-trade (‘on-premise’ in the U.S). Our U.S. business, Nielsen CGA, will be releasing a bi-weekly COVID-19 On-Premise Impact Report that snapshots the traffic and sales impact of social distancing and regulatory restrictions. As we identify the insights, we will do our best to effectively inform and guide our clients and partners, working closely with you to navigate changing business needs.

In Consumer Research:

Our consumer research teams will also be capturing rapidly changing consumer perceptions and behaviours via online research for thousands of consumers across Great Britain and America. We are seeing evidence that online research has not been negatively impacted and, in fact, there have been higher participation rates in some of the worst hit areas, a view that is being affirmed by our research partners, who have reassured us that respondent and engagement rates remain high.

In Learning & Development:

CPL Learning recently launched a free e-learning course on COVID-19 to support businesses in making preparations and contingencies to deal with the virus. It covers topics such as what is coronavirus, areas to proactively consider and plan, operational tips and training guides and materials. We are offering this course free of charge to help your wider teams be quickly upskilled.

How to access these insights:

Despite the uncertain circumstances, you can trust that our teams are working hard to provide you with the best, most accurate data possible to help you navigate the coming weeks more confidently.

We encourage you to visit our website here and sign up for our newsletter to receive these special news alerts as soon as they are released.

Within CGA:

To ensure the safety and health of our team, we are giving all of our staff the option to work from home. We have also invested in new equipment to ensure all of our staff are able to work safely and productively from their homes.

We are also encouraging our team members to self-isolate and work remotely if they show any symptoms of the virus, like a high temperature, or a new, continuous cough. If they have travelled to a badly affected areas or have been in contact with someone with the disease, they are also being asked to self-isolate.

In regards to travel and meetings, we are carefully following the latest Government advice and we are limiting all non-essential travel and encouraging in-person meetings to be transitioned to virtual conference calls. The important thing is that you can count on CGA’s teams to maintain the quality and timing of our work, with minimal disruption.

Final thoughts…

This is an ever-evolving situation that will change in the upcoming days, weeks and potentially months. The media is full of information (and misinformation) about COVID-19 and how long this will last. The uncertainty this virus has placed is likely to impact businesses but the best thing all of us can do is communicate with each other, reach for the facts, and ultimately make the best decisions we can to protect our employees and customers.

The hospitality industry is the lifeblood of our vibrant society. We will find a road to recovery together, just like we have through other dark and uncertain times. As this happens, CGA will be on the forefront — as we always are — of keeping you up to date with the data, insights and consumer research on all things food and drink. We’ll be here, each and every day, working nonstop to bring you everything you need to know.

From all of us at CGA, we send our very best wishes. Please get in touch if we can provide any further support or help.

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