Restaurants see sales jump 9.5% in December amid delivery demand

British restaurant groups have recorded 9.5% total sales growth in December, driven by increased investment in delivery services and new site openings, according to the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker. 

While total growth was high, the Tracker revealed that like-for-like sales were just 0.3% ahead of December 2024. 

Performance remained constrained throughout 2025, with sales growth exceeding the rate of inflation in only two of the 12 months.

The data indicates a shift in consumer preference toward delivery over takeaway options. Delivery sales rose 4.1% on a like-for-like basis last month.

However, takeaway and click-and-collect orders fell by 8.4% in December and are said to represent the third worst performance for the takeaway segment during the 2025 calendar year.

Direct-to-door sales now account for more than double the value of takeaways, with deliveries accounting for 11.5 pence of every pound spent in December.

Takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 4.9 pence per pound. This follows a flat November where like-for-like sales growth sat at 0.0%.

Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food, EMEA, at NIQ, said: “December’s figures round out a challenging year for restaurants in both eat-in and at-home channels. Total sales growth paints a much brighter picture, and shows restaurants are continuing to invest in their delivery capabilities. 

“However, any extension of at-home services comes with the risk of squeezing dine-in sales and the need to protect tight margins. Managing costs, the quality of food and relationships with third-party delivery platforms will be three top priorities for restaurant groups as they seek to revive real-terms growth in 2026.”