Disposable Income
Reporting on how changes in consumer spending power are influencing footfall, pricing strategy, and menu engineering across UK restaurants, pubs, cafes, and catering operations. This section explores the impact of inflation, interest rates, and household budgets on dining habits, helping operators anticipate shifts in demand, adapt promotional strategies, and plan for trading conditions shaped by fluctuations in economic confidence and discretionary spend.
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Jun- 2023 -21 JuneComment
Discounts and freebies: what else can loyalty programmes offer?
Restaurateurs and bar owners will be well used to the concept of a customer loyalty programme. From the large chains with highly organised reward apps offering points and vouchers, to basic ‘loyalty stamp’ cards, there are many organisations in the field making use of customer loyalty to boost their footfall…
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May- 2023 -17 MayPubs and Bars
Mitchell and Butlers revenues hit £1.2bn in H1
Mitchell and Butlers’ total revenues reached £1.2bn in the 28 weeks ended 8 April, compared with £1.1bn in the same period last year, as the group’s like-for-like sales grew 8.5%. However, the group’s operating profit reached £99m for the period compared with £121m in HY22 and its profit before tax…
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2 MayNews
Heinkenen to invest £40m in Star Pubs upgrades
Heineken has recently announced it will invest £40m in upgrading almost a quarter of the pubs in its Star Pubs & Bars’ estate in 2023. A total of 570 pubs will benefit from the improvements, with 100 of these scheduled for major revamps averaging £200,000 each, creating around 600 new…
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2 MayPubs and Bars
Liberation Group expands managed pubs portfolio in Q1
Pub operator Liberation Group has revealed that for the 12 weeks to 22 April, its portfolio of managed pubs increased by 4.7% like-for-like in the UK, while food and drink increased by 4.4% and 2.8% respectively. While accommodation saw a rise of 13.9% among the group’s managed pubs, its estate…
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Mar- 2023 -20 MarchFood and Drink
Drinks sales dip 3% year-on-year in March
Drinks sales in the UK have dropped 3% year-on-year in the first full week of March following a strong first two months of the year, according to data from CGA Strategy. The latest Drinks Recovery Tracker shows average sales in the week up to 11 March were 3% behind the…
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2 MarchFeatures
Revenge of the dish: Are we eating out more after Covid?
Revenge dining. You may have not heard of the term but you’re probably aware of the idea. It’s the theory that more people ate out at restaurants in 2022 following the end of lockdown restrictions as a result of not being able to for so long. Opentable research published in…
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Jan- 2023 -23 JanuaryBusiness
Consumer confidence improves for first time in 15 months
UK consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022 improved by half (+0.6) a percentage point, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker, marking the end of a 15-month period of consecutive decline. Deloitte said overall confidence was boosted by “significant” quarter-on-quarter improvement in sentiment towards levels of debt (+3.8…
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12 JanuaryPubs and Bars
Mitchells & Butlers welcomes strong festive trading in Q1
Mitchells and Butlers has welcomed continued strong trading over the festive season, as like-for-like sales rose by 10.4% in its first quarter, with trading bolstered by the Christmas period. The group made a strong start to the financial year, with like-for-like sales up by 6.5% over the ten weeks to…
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11 JanuaryPubs and Bars
Nightcap hails ‘record’ Q2 results despite rail strikes
Nightcap has welcomed “record” trading in its latest quarter, with revenues up by 60.9% to £12.9m and like-for-like sales up by 4.7%, despite rail strikes impacting hospitality over the period. Group revenue for the month of December 2022 was £5.9m, a 71.8% increase compared to the £3.4m reported in December…
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Sep- 2022 -22 SeptemberRestaurants
Comptoir H1 profits surge 150% to £11.5m
Comptoir Group, the owner and/or operator of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurants, has announced its profits surged 150% to £11.5m for the six-month period ended 3 July 2022 (H1 FY22), compared to £4.6m in H1 FY21. Group revenues also jumped 158.9% to £14.5m, compared to £5.6m in the comparable period…
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