Final Week of August Sees Like-for-Likes Rise by 5%

Following a recent decline in like-for-likes, August’s concluding week saw sales increase by 5% when compared to the same week in 2019. 

This 5% increase was mainly a result of food like-for-likes rising by 12% — a similar trend in regards to recent like-for-likes. Drink like-for-likes, on the other hand, dropped by 1% in comparison to the same week in 2019. 

Week-on-week sales were up by 6.5%, with London’s sales increasing by 4% based on the previous week — a rise that has been a rarity in recent weeks. As for non-London, week-on-weeks were up 7%.

S4labour’s Chief Innovation Officer, Richard Hartley, commented: “the final week of August caps off a month that’s appeared to be mostly quite difficult for London’s week-on-weeks. This last week, however, spells some positivity for the Capital. The longer weekend may have resulted in London sites experiencing higher sales compared to usual.”

Eat Out Sales Figures

Week on week sales jump 20.5% on the back of Eat Out Scheme.

Analysis from S4labour shows a leap in like-for-likes sales of 20.5% on last week. The figures also show that last weeks like-for-like sales surpassed the same week last year by 2%, the first week this milestone has been reached since before lockdown.
 
There was a marked difference between food and drink sales, with food week on week sales up 35.8% and drink sales up a more modest 8.3%. Looking at the figures from Monday to Wednesday (while the Eat Out Scheme was valid) food sales both inside and outside the capital were up a remarkable 132% on last week.
 
The analysis shows that there was both week on week sales growth last week and a bringing forward of sales to the beginning of the week, albeit with a 5.2% slip in Thursday to Sunday trading on the previous week.
 
Chief Product Officer, Richard Hartley commented that the figures are the first indicator of the effectiveness of the Governments Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, food sales have been slower to recover since lockdown measures eased and this is a welcome shot in the arm for operators.
 
The research also identified in the first week of the scheme, the average site participating in the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme gave a discount of £987.38 on food sales and £202.27 on drink sales, totalling £1,189.65.

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