According to the CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker, average drinks sales in the week to 5 April 2025 were up by 5% from the same period in April 2024.
This followed a positive March 2025 for sales, which were up by 2%.
According to CGA by NIQ, this raised hopes for some sustained real-terms growth for the on premise after a sluggish start to 2025.
The tracker said that growth would have been even stronger without comparisons being distorted by the long Easter weekend, which fell in late March in 2024.
Revenue boost
It said this pushed daily sales down by 15% and 28% on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 March. However, trading then surged back into growth of 19% and 22% on the next two days, Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 April. They remained ahead by double digits on each of the three remaining days of the week.
Revenue was boosted by the temperatures touching 20° over the week, drawing consumers out to the gardens and terraces of pubs and bars, it said.
The report also said that the sunny weather made it a particularly good period for the long alcoholic drinks (LAD) categories, with beer sales rising 8% year-on-year and cider soaring 22%. Wine (up 6%) also had a good week, but soft drinks (down 3%) and spirits (down 6%) were negative.
Encouraging
CGA by NIQ commercial lead UK & Ireland Rachel Weller said: “These are very encouraging numbers that show on premise operators and suppliers are building some decent sales momentum. Bright weather always lifts people’s spending, but we may also be starting to see a wider improvement in their confidence as inflation eases.”
Weller also predicted a bigger boost for pubs over the Easter weekend if the sunny weather continues.
“Some of the growth will inevitably be eaten up by the unwelcoming increase in employers’ labour costs from April, which may also force some venues to raise prices—but it’s nevertheless a strong opening to a crucial period for the on premise,” she added.
The report also said that a strong spring for the on premise was interrupted by a week of softer trading, as year-on-year sales were down by 6% over the seven days to 29 March.
Trading was well behind the equivalent days in 2024 for most of the week, which were again skewed by the earlier Easter last year.
