Spending on eating and drinking out rises by 37%
The increase, which represents a 2.5% month-on-month rise, was driven by activity in pubs and bars where spend was up 38.1% – the biggest increase since September 2020 – as people chose to go to hospitality venues to watch key sporting events such as the Euros. The warmer weather and the easing of Coronavirus restrictions were also cited as reasons for this growth.
The level of spend in restaurants recorded a 8.4% decline in growth, which is significantly lower than the declines of 74.4% and 53.2% in April and May respectively. Barclaycard predicts that the recovery of the sector will continue over the summer months as restrictions continue to ease, with consumer confidence data finding that 22% of Brits increased their spending on meals and drinks out on sunnier days.
Demand for takeaways and fast food remained high, despite the reopening of indoor dining in May, with a 146% increase in online spend, including through delivery apps and services.
Spend on hotels, resorts, accommodation and fuel was up for the first time since the pandemic began, with overall credit and debit card spending up 11.1% last month, compared with two years previously.
Spending on essential items grew 14.7% – the sharpest rise since before the start of the pandemic. This was driven by strong uplifts in supermarket shopping (19%) and spending at specialist food and drink stores (76.4%) – including butchers, bakeries, and off-licenses – as the nation kicked off the summer with BBQs and picnics.
“June saw Brits flock back to pubs, bars and beer gardens to watch the football and tennis on the big screens, as the heatwave early in the month encouraged many of us to get out in the sunshine and socialise,” says Raheel Ahmed, head of consumer products at Barclaycard.
“The start of the Olympics and the expected easing of restrictions later this month should continue to lift spirits and provide more opportunities for get-togethers, whether that’s a weekend break, a meal out or to celebrate sporting victories.”
Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of Brits feel the prices of everyday items are higher than they used to be, which Barclaycard says could be attributed to the recent rise in inflation, or perhaps a shift in the perception of the cost of living as people transition back to normality.
