According to analysis of more than 100 restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels and cafes that use S4labour software, sales of both food and drink were up 6.1% in August 2019 compared to August 2018. This follows on from a 5.4% uplift in like-for-like sales in July.
This month’s figures can be characterised by the impressive boost in performance for drink focused business, where the overall rise in sales was 9.6%, made up of 11.1% growth in drinks sales and supported by 3.5% rise in food sales.
Drink sales were also the driving force behind further positive sales figures in food focused businesses. A boost of 5.1% in drink and 1.2% increase in food sales meant that food led pubs delivered a 2.8% increase in like for like sales compared with August 2018.
As the summer months come to a close, this month’s sales figures paint not only a healthy picture for the hospitality industry in August but also for the summer holiday period, a trend that was also true of 2018.
August’s results are particularly encouraging for drink focused pubs, where like for like sales have slightly lagged behind the results posted in food focused pubs during 2019.
As attentions turn to Autumn and Christmas trading, hospitality providers will be looking to build on the momentum gathered over the summer, where despite interchangeable weather, plenty of positives can be taken.
