The first full week of 2022 saw hospitality sales fall by 30% compared to the same week in 2020.
Drink driven like-for-likes fell by 32.5%, whereas food sales were down a lower 27%.
London sites are continuing to experience worse like-for-likes than sites outside of London, with sales in the capital declining by 36% on 2020 levels.
S4labour’s Chief Innovation Officer, Richard Hartley, stated: “Speaking to customers, the availability of staff to meet sales has been a real issue for the sector. In some instances the demand is there, however the limit on available employees appears to be reducing opportunities for businesses. Hopefully as restrictions are eased, more staff are readily available and consumers gain more confidence.”
