Delivery and takeaway sales more than double pre-pandemic levels

Combined sales were 130% higher than in September 2019, when businesses were trading as normal; and 35% higher than in September 2020, when they were operating under COVID restrictions, according to the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker.

Deliveries and takeaways were worth 29% of the total sales of all businesses contributing data to the Tracker.

September’s growth in delivery sales was more than five times higher than that of takeaways, reflecting the popularity of third-party delivery platforms such as Just Eat and Deliveroo. Drinks accounted for just under 10% of all sales.

The data suggests that delivery and takeaway sales are not compromising consumers’ spending on eating and drinking out with managed restaurants, pubs and bars having grown their sales by 8% on September 2019, according to CGA Coffer’s Business Tracker.

“Delivery and takeaway sales have dipped from the heights of lockdown, but September’s figures show they will stay a crucial part of restaurant and pub operations,” says Karl Chessell, director at CGA.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see that at-home sales seem to be complementing rather than cannibalising eat-out spending, even as restaurants and pubs settle back towards normality.

“While the post-COVID balance of the two sectors won’t be clear for a while yet, there’s no reason why businesses can’t thrive in both in the future.”

The CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker is compiled using detailed data from the likes of Azzurri Group, BrewDog plc, Burger King UK, Byron, Cote Restaurants, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Honest Burgers, Nando’s Restaurants, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, TGI Fridays UK, The Restaurant Group, Tortilla, Wagamama and YO!