Hospitality Like-for-likes down 10.5%, with 70% of sites trading at similar or above 2019 levels.
According to analysis of more than 150 organisations that use S4labour’s workforce management software, there is little change in the number of sites that were able to open in the second week of re-opening, with 45% of sites still not trading, and those that were trading, saw like-for-likes 10.5% down compared to the same week in 2019. Despite the decline, the distribution of sites trading at similar or above levels to the same week in 2019, has jumped from 45% in re-opening week, to 70% of sites last week. The figures should be viewed in the context comparing pre-pandemic trading conditions against significantly reduced capacity in most sites currently.
While like-for-likes were down 10.5% on the same week in 2019, the decline was almost entirely driven by a 19% fall in drink sales, sales of food were equal to 2019 levels.
Chief Customer Officer, Sam Wignell added, “We expect 70% of open sites trading at similar or above 2019 levels to be the benchmark until operators are allowed to utilise all of their capacity if the weather holds and it’s not a surprise that sales are down, with sites being so hampered by outdoor only rules”.
Hospitality sales last week were only down 7.5% compared to the highs of EOTHO levels, with drink down 2.6% and food, while no longer subsided by the government scheme was only down 11.6%.
S4labour’s Chief Product Officer, Richard Hartley, commented that, “the figures suggest enthusiasm for a first drink in the beer garden faded very slightly and so it has become even more important that sites who can only operate at a limited capacity, or are not able to trade at all, get the support they need to survive.
