Drinks sales in Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants are lagging last year’s levels as Christmas trading nears, CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows.
Average sales in managed venues in the seven days to Saturday 23 November were 9% down on the same week in 2023. It follows an up-and-down Autumn for the On Premise, and a flat second week of November.
Widespread chilly weather pushed down sales throughout the week, with Sunday (17 November) the only day with positive growth. Weekend sales also struggled, falling by 8% on Friday (22 November), and by 14% on Saturday (23 November) as Storm Bert hit some parts of Britain. In between, numbers were between 8% and 11% behind last year on every day from Monday to Thursday (18 to 21 November).
All major drinks categories recorded year-on-year losses in sales, the Daily Drinks Tracker shows. Beer (down 5%), cider (down 8%), wine (down 7%) and soft drinks (down 11%) were all impacted by the drop in footfall. Spirits sales fell 20%—one of the steepest year-on-year drops of 2024, though recent CGA research has highlighted potential to revive sales in the run-up to Christmas.
Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland, said:
“The combination of patchy consumer confidence and unfavourable weather has extended Autumn’s weak trading into Winter. More positively, some managed groups continue to generate good growth, and brighter conditions should help to bring more people out to the On Premise. Operators and suppliers will be hoping that a slow November indicates that consumers are saving up for a big spend on Christmas celebrations, rather than a sign of things to come in December.”
