Delivery and takeaway sales growth slows in October but still at all-time high

The growth in delivery and takeaway sales has slowed down as consumers have returned to pre-Covid eating-out habits, although the revenue from at-home sales has continued to run at nearly double 2019 levels.

The CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker, which measures delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant and pub groups, showed that combined sales by value for October were 98% higher than in October 2019, and 13% above October 2020, when businesses were operating under severe Covid restrictions

The rate of 2021 on 2019 growth has steadily slowed from 206% in July to 176% in August and 130% in September.

Meanwhile, the increase in delivery sales since 2019 has been seven times higher than takeaways as consumers have become more used to having food and drink delivered to their door rather than picking it up.

Growth in deliveries and takeaways continued to be much higher than in eating and drinking out. The October edition of the separate CGA Coffer Business Tracker showed that managed restaurants, pubs and bars grew their sales by 3% on October 2019.

Karl Chessell, business unit director, hospitality operators and food, EMEA, of insight consultancy CGA, said: “Deliveries and takeaways have boomed ever since lockdowns began in spring 2020, but sales are now starting to settle into new patterns. However, with many people growing accustomed to the convenience of deliveries, and concerns about eating and drinking out lingering for others, these channels are going to remain central to trading.

“For all managed groups, balancing at-home and eat-in business, and growing both without compromising either, is going to be an operational priority as we move into 2022.”

Founder of digital hospitality platform Slerp, JP Then, added: “Takeaway and delivery sales continue to out-perform pre-pandemic levels. As more diners return to the on premise, we’re seeing the importance of digitalisation of the entire restaurant experience with an increase in adoption of products, such as order at table solutions as well as continuing demand for online ordering. Operators who harness the power of digital for both on- and off-premise dining are the operators seeing the biggest success.”

The 18 companies featured on the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker included Burger King UK, Côte Restaurants, Giggling Squid, PizzaExpress and Wagamama.

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