Spending on hospitality continues to rise

High temperatures during the first two weeks of July saw pub spending rise 15.5 per cent year-on-year, but heavy rainfall saw it nearly halved to 8.7 per cent in the final two weeks.

The number of people dining out increased as temperatures dropped. Restaurant spending rose from 12.2 per cent in early July to 14.9 per cent at the end of the month.

While hotel spend rose 6.4 per cent year-on-year, it marked a drop from 8.9 per cent last month.

Wet weather provided the biggest boost to the takeaway food sector, with spending up 61.4 per cent during the last two weeks of July.

Chris Wood, managing director at Barclaycard, said: “July was a prime example of how the weather impacts the way consumers spend their money. The heat wave that dominated the start of the month provided a lift to the high street.

“Overall, the rise in discretionary spending in July echoes a six-month trend where consumers, supported by significant tailwinds such as zero inflation, rising wages and clear guidance on interest rates, feel more comfortable splashing out on the nice-to-haves.”

Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of all card transactions in the UK, compared spending data from 28 June to 25 July 2015 with that of 29 June to 26 July 2014.