It means at-home sales have now risen for 19 months in a row. However, the latest number is well short of November’s growth of 6.2% and marks the
Tracker’s lowest point since March. For the first time in 2024, it fell slightly below the UK’s general monthly rate of inflation of 2.4%, as measured by the Consumers Prices Index.
December’s figure may reflect consumers’ shift towards going out rather than ordering in over Christmas as their spending confidence increased. They were further encouraged out of home by generally mild weather and the timing of festive holidays, which gave many consumers longer periods of time off work.
A breakdown of CGA’s Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates 2.2% like-for-like growth in delivery sales, while takeaway and click-and-collect revenue was flatter at 1.4%. Total delivery and takeaway sales—including from sites opened in the last 12 months—rose by 10.3%.
Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “After 11 months of real-terms growth for deliveries and takeaways, December’s slip below inflation was a disappointing end to 2024 for restaurant groups. But the flipside of the coin is that many consumers were confident enough to head out to celebrate rather than stay in. As more of their economic pressures ease we can be cautiously optimistic about growth in both channels in 2025, but the mounting burden of costs for hospitality groups will put pressure on margins for some time to come.”
The CGA by NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.
Partners on the Tracker are: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Byron, Chopstix, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Wagamama, Wasabi and YO! Sushi. Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft here.
