Average sales in managed venues in the seven days to last Saturday (10 August) were 8% behind the equivalent period in 2023. The week struggled against tough comparisons with August 2023 when the sun was shining and the Women’s Football World Cup took over pub screens. Recent public disturbances and demonstrations kept many consumers at home last week.
The week started with Sunday and Monday both in value decline (-5.9% and -2.9% respectively). Tuesday was the only day of the week seeing a positive performance thanks to the nicer weather. The rest of the week continued negatively with Wednesday and Thursday seeing double digit decline (-15.5% and -21.1%) and Friday and Saturday experiencing -4.8% and -7.4% respective declines. It’s likely that the poor weekend performance is in part due to the start of the Premier League on the equivalent Friday last year and a fair number of matches taking place on the Saturday.
Performance by category has remained consistent with negative performance trends from the last week. Beer (-7%) and cider (-6%) have shown a slightly better performance than spirits (-15%). Soft drinks and wine performed at -6% and -8% respectively.
Jonathan Jones, CGA by NIQ’s managing director, UK and Ireland said “As the On Premise reflects on a dampened week marked by disappointing weather, civil unrest across England, and declining sales, operators and suppliers are undoubtedly pinning their hopes on a resurgence of summer sunshine and the upcoming return of the Premier League, which will no doubt help draw consumers out into the On Premise. The unpredictability of weather patterns highlights the significance for businesses to adeptly manage these challenges Suppliers and operators can work together to create footfall driving activations that bring people into the On Premise whatever the weather.”
The Daily Drinks Tracker provides analysis of sales at managed licensed premises across Britain and is part of CGA by NIQ’s suite of research services delivering in-depth data on category, supplier and brand rate of sale performance. To learn more, click here, or contact Jonathan Jones, CGA by NIQ Managing Director, here.
