Lumina Intelligence’s latest Eating and Drinking Out Panel (EDOP) data reveals improvement in the UK’s eating and drinking out market for October 2024, as consumers return to more frequent outings and spend more on average per visit. The findings highlight that with easing financial pressures and stable autumnal weather, market performance metrics have seen considerable growth across key indicators.
Market penetration has increased by 3.4 percentage points to 59.9%, while the frequency of visits climbed by 9.0% to an average of 1.6 visits per consumer. Average spend per visit also rose significantly by 18.8% year-on-year, reaching £19.35. Together, these figures underscore stronger consumer engagement and heightened activity in the market, driven by growing consumer confidence and the financial flexibility to enjoy social occasions.
This shift in consumer behaviour has also brought about notable changes in where consumers are choosing to visit. Pubs and bars saw an upturn in popularity in October, gaining a 3.3 percentage point increase in visit share to reach 17% of total occasions. This resurgence signals a shift towards social-led gatherings, as consumers return to pubs and bars for drink-focused occasions. The rise in pub visits contrasts with declines in share for retail, quick service restaurants (QSR), and coffee and sandwich shops, indicating a rebalancing from necessity-driven, on-the-go visits towards more social settings.
The data also notes a year-on-year increase in smaller and more discretionary occasions, particularly drink-only and breakfast outings, reflecting an expanding interest in flexible, informal outings. Lumina Intelligence advises suppliers to support operators in broadening their offerings across varied day-parts to capture and sustain this renewed consumer interest.
