Whitbread to meet FY expectations

The company’s total sales for the period were up 11.4% year-on-year, while like-for-like sales climbed 2.4%.

Sales across its pub restaurants, which includes the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre brands, grew by 2.9%, with like-for-like sales up 1.1%.

Trading in the most recent period was again driven by the performance of its Costa Coffee chain, which reported a 3.8% increase in like-for-like sales during the quarter, while total sales climbed 25.2%.

Budget hotel chain, Premier Inn, reported an 8.3% rise in total sales with like-for-like sales up 2.6%. The company’s hotels and restaurants saw sales climb 6.3%, with like-for-like sales up 2.1%.

For the 39 weeks to 1 December, the group’s total sales were up 11.2% on the previous year, with like-for-like sales up 3%.

Costa reported a 25.1% rise in total sales for the 39 weeks, with like-for-like sales up 5.6%, while Premier Inn saw a 9.8% increase in total sales and a 4.3% rise in like-for-like sales. The group’s hotels and restaurants reported a 6.4% increase in total sales, with a 2.3% rise in like-for-like sales.

Sales for the 39 weeks across its pub restaurants climbed by 1.3%, however like-for-like sales dropped by 0.7%.

The company’s restaurants delivered total covers growth of 2.6% over the 39 weeks, with six new restaurants opened. It plans to have opened around 4,000 new rooms and 13 restaurants in the UK by the full year.

Andy Harrison, chief executive, said: “Our like-for-like sales performance keeps us on track to deliver full year results in line with expectations. As we said at the half year, trading month by month continues to be variable in a challenging consumer environment.

“Restaurants have responded positively to the actions we are taking to improve performance. Costa has continued its good growth both in terms of like for like sales and store numbers.”

In November, the group signed a new five-year revolving credit facility for £650m replacing its existing bank loan facilities of £930m. It said that together with the seven and 10-year private placements put in place in July 2010 and June 2011, it now has total facilities of the sterling equivalent of just over £900m.