Delivery and takeaway sales begin to dip from pandemic peaks

The latest edition of the exclusive monitor shows that combined sales in May 2022 were 29% below the level of May 2021. However, the market remains more than twice the size it was before the pandemic, and it now accounts for a quarter of managed groups’ trading. 

“After flourishing during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the delivery and takeaway sector has inevitably settled down as consumers go out to eat again,” says Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA.

It is the fifth month in a row this year that sales have been below the corresponding period of 2021, when eating and drinking out was heavily restricted and consumers were spending more time at home.

However, the Hospitality at Home Tracker also shows sales remain well above pre-Covid levels, with growth of 107% in May 2022 compared to May 2019. Delivery sales were 315% higher than three years ago, while takeaway and click-and-collect sales were up by 22%.

Combined, they accounted for nearly 25 pence in every pound spent with the managed groups participating in the Tracker in May. 

“We are now getting better visibility as to what a post-pandemic new normal looks like and it’s clear that takeaway and delivery are an important aspect of the channel mix, representing a quarter of revenues,” says JP Then, founder of Slerp.

“Operators are looking closely at the margins and investing into the channels that enable them to operate effectively, and provide consumers with enough bang for their buck. Establishing a direct online ordering channel with a unique proposition remains key to capturing discretionary consumer spend.”