Pubs and restaurant sales down 50% compared to last summer

Britain's leading pub, restaurant and bar groups recorded a 50.4% fall in sales in July compared to the same month last year, when the pub industry was reemerging for the first time since the lockdown, according to the latest Coffer Peach business tracker data.

Sales in July were 50.4 per cent down on a year earlier, figures obtained from hospitality provider Coffer Peach's most recent monthly Coffer Business Tracker show.

While pub groups combined showed overall sales falling 44.7 per cent during the month, restaurants in the tracker cohort saw a drop of 59.8 per cent and bars a drop of 63.3per cent.

Pubs were more resilient, taking revenue down 44.7 per cent, according to the tracker which aggregates the figures from 49 group-owned or managed businesses which have more than 7.500 locations across the UK.

"The figures are a reflection of the fact that reopening of sites has been gradual, and not all by any means are back in business," said Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the consulting firm that compiled the data with the Coffer Group and RSM, a private public accounting firm.

It showed trading in London fell by 58.3 per cent in July at every retail outlet, with non-M25 trading falling by 48.5 per cent. Three out of four pubs, bars and restaurants around the country are set to reopen.

The Out Of Home market re-opened in a gradual and gradual process during July, with initial opening up of England, then Scotland and Wales, the tracker has recorded only the overall sales for this month and not this month's comparative scores but will continue its comparison with the August trading patterns.