Strong Delivery Boost Restaurants Sales in January

Restaurant groups across the country have seen a strong growth in delivery sales in the first month of 2026, according to the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker.

The Tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, reveals like-for-like delivery sales in January were 7.4% ahead of the same month in 2025. This is a sharp increase from growth of 4.1% in December, and the Tracker’s joint second highest figure since the start of 2025. Deliveries were boosted in January by widespread and persistent rain, which led many people to stay inside rather than eat out.

Restaurants’ at-home sales have also been boosted by rollouts of new delivery offers. Total delivery sales in January – including from restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or ones where deliveries have been introduced for the first time – were 13.9% ahead of the same month in 2025.

However, revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders dropped 9.1% on a like-for-like basis in January, as some consumers tightened their spending after Christmas and others switched to the convenience of deliveries. Takeaway sales have now fallen year-on-year for 10 successive months.

With deliveries and takeaways combined, the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates that restaurant groups’ like-for-like at-home sales in January were 2.7% ahead of January 2025. This is fractionally below the UK’s 3.0% rate of inflation, as set by the Consumer Prices Index. Total sales were 11.8% ahead.

The growth of at-home sales means deliveries accounted for 13.8 pence per pound spent at restaurants in January. Takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 5.0 pence.

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:
“The bright start to 2026 for delivery sales is a contrast to eat-in trends and a welcome source of growth for restaurant operators.

“With nearly one pound in every seven spent with restaurants now going on deliveries, this is clearly now a valuable and mature channel.

“However, it’s not a risk-free increment to sales, and restaurants need to stay alert to protecting both the profitability and quality of their delivery offers. With consumers still cautious with their spending, operators will have to keep working hard to sustain at-home demand in 2026.”