Delivery and takeaway sales continue to drop, CGA reports
Combined sales of delivery and takeaway food declined by 6% in February 2023 compared to the same period last year
Delivery and takeaway sales in Britain have again experienced a fall compared to last year, according to the new Hospitality at Home Tracker from CGA by NIQ.
The tracker revealed that compared to February 2022, combined sales of delivery and takeaway food last month declined by 6% as more customers are reducing their spending and deciding to eat out instead of ordering in. The volume of delivery orders fell even more sharply, by 13.3%.
Despite the extended decline, delivery and takeaway sales are still well ahead of levels seen before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. They accounted for 17 pence in every pound spent with the managed restaurant groups contributing to the Hospitality at Home Tracker in February.
The CGA Hospitality Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market, which provides monthly reports about a variety of hospitality businesses including Wagamama, Pizza Hut, Nando’s and others.
Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director, said: “After booming during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, delivery and takeaway sales have dropped year-on-year in every month of 2022 and 2023. This is an encouraging sign that consumers have returned eagerly to restaurants since restrictions eased, but it also reflects the still-tightening squeeze on consumers’ discretionary incomes.
“Our research consistently shows that people want to prioritise the affordable treats of restaurant meals, and their spending will hopefully increase when household bills and inflation come down. In the meantime, we can expect more softening in the at-home market.”
