After five consecutive weeks of positive like-for-likes, September 2021 has seen total hospitality sales increase by 8% when compared to September 2019.
This was driven by food like-for-likes increasing by 16%; a common pattern throughout the past two months. Drink like-for-likes were up too, however by a much smaller 1%.
Non-London sites had a stronger month compared to London sites, with non-London’s like-for-likes rising by 10% against London’s 3% decline.
S4labour’s Chief Innovation Officer, Richard Hartley, stated: “After 5 weeks of sustained positive like-for-likes, September has been a reasonably positive month for hospitality. These figures do cap off the month reassuringly, however, the increase in VAT — and issues with the labour and supply chain — pose some concern for October.”