The latest Daily Drinks Tracker from CGA by NIQ showed average drinks sales by value in managed venues saw a 12% like-for-like increase in the week to Saturday 3 May –the best performance so far this year.
Attributed largely to warmer weather encouraging customers to visit pub beer gardens, it followed 2% growth in the seven days to Saturday 26 April, and high single-digit growth in the first half of April.
Coming on the back of a solid March, the latest run of growth means drinks sales have now been in year-on-year growth for ten of the last 11 weeks.
Strong month
Trading subsided briefly after Easter, with some consumers watching their spending in the aftermath of the long Bank Holiday weekend.
However, as the sunshine set in across many parts of Britain, daily sales rocketed by between 13% and 30% on every day from Sunday 27 April to Friday 1 May.
High temperatures made it a particularly strong month for Long Alcoholic Drinks (LAD) categories.
The Daily Drinks Tracker showed beer and cider sales soared by 15% and 43% respectively in the week to 3 May, after growth of 3% and 13% over the previous seven days.
Soft drinks also felt the benefit of consumers seeking refreshment on hot days, with sales up by 8% and 9% over the two weeks.
Meanwhile, sprits took advantage of interest in cocktails with 2% growth in the week to 3 May, but wine sales were down in both weeks.
Top priority
However, despite a strong desire the visit on-trade settings during good weather, consumer disposable income remains “finite”, CGA by NIQ commercial lead UK & Ireland Rachel Weller warned.
She said: “After a challenging start to 2025, the prolonged good weather has made for a very good spring for on premise drinks sales.
“Full pub gardens and terraces have delivered a bumper April for LAD categories and soft drinks, and with the sunshine continuing and another Bank Holiday approaching, May could well be an even stronger month.
“Disposable incomes are finite, and many people will be watching their spending—but it’s clear that when the sun shines, drinking out remains a top priority for their leisure time.”
