Weekly drinks sales drop 5% amid tough comparatives
Wine sales were down 1%, beer was down 3%, cider down 9%, soft drinks down 6% and spirits down 14%
Average drinks sales in managed venues in the week ended 12 October were 5% down on the same period last year, according to data from CGA.
October 2023 benefited from warm weather across most of the country and the closing stages of the Rugby World Cup.
The latest numbers continue a difficult run of negative numbers in nine of the last 12 weeks.
Sales were behind on five of the seven days of the week, falling between 6% and 16% from 6 to 8 October.
However, there were brighter patches of trading, sales were positive on 9 October and 3% ahead year-on-year on 11 October, before falling back 8% on 12 October.
Wine sales were down 1%, beer was down 3%, cider down 9%, soft drinks down 6% and spirits down 14%.
Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial leader UK and Ireland, said: “Sunshine and high temperatures at the start of last autumn are inevitably making sales growth very difficult this October. The atypical weather means we shouldn’t read too much into year-on-year comparisons, but another week of negative drinks sales growth is nevertheless disappointing.
“Falling inflation and other encouraging economic indicators should be helping to improve consumers’ confidence, but we’re not yet seeing that translate into higher spending on drinking out.”
