The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has looked back at average drinks sales by value in managed pubs and bars over the first six months of 2025, as measured by CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker.
January
Drinks sales started the year on a high, with New Year’s Trade outperforming 2023 by 373%.
However, sales then dropped in the first full week of January as consumers tightened their belts following the festive season, with trade dipping 17% in the week to Sunday 5 January and 9% the following week.
Though footfall and spend recovered in the subsequent seven days to Saturday 18 January, with sales finishing 2% ahead of the equivalent week in 2024, attributed to decent weather and high-profile football fixtures.
It made for a particularly good week for the Long Alcoholic Drinks (LAD) and soft drinks categories, both of which saw a 4% boost.
Trade was then blown away by Storm Éowyn the following week, closing the month with a 14% slump in average sales.
February
CGA by NIQ predicted Valentine’s Day would be welcome tonic in February after a month of difficult sales in January.
While customers returned to pubs and bars after payday and wine sales soared, overall trade was exactly level year-on-year in the seven days to 1 February, with trade picking up slightly that weekend (31 January and 1 February).
Despite the start of the Six Nations rugby tournament and some big football matches, sales slipped by 2% the following week (8 February).
The situation worsened in the week leading up to February 15, with drink sales plummeting a further 11% below 2024 figures.
However, sales then rebounded in the subsequent week, showing a 4% year-on-year increase and rising above official inflation figures, which at the time stood at 3%.
March
Sales began to recover in the third week of February and continued an upward trend, showing a 4% increase in the week leading up to Saturday 1 March.
The positive trading continued into the following week, ending Saturday 8 March 8% ahead of the same period in 2024.
Long alcoholic drinks (LAD) categories particularly benefited from the warmer temperatures and Six Nations rugby fixtures over this two-week period, while the spirits category continued to struggle.
Drinks sales then increased by 2% year-on-year across the seven days to Saturday 15 March and 5% the following week ended 22 March, marking four consecutive weeks of positive trade.
Sporting events, fairer weather and St Patrick’s Day helped lift trade and boosted ciders sales by 11% and 14% respectively. Wine, soft drinks and spirits all suffered.
April
Easter, the start of the school holidays and more warm weather made for a bumper month in April. The month started on a high, with sales up 5% during the first full week.
CGA by NIQ estimated that growth would have been even stronger without comparisons being distorted by the long Easter weekend, which fell in late March in 2024.
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 and remained ahead by double digits on each of the three remaining days of the week.
Temperatures touching 20 degrees over the week also drew consumers out to pub and bar gardens and terraces of pubs and bars, making it a solid week for the LAD segment.
Drinks sales also saw double-digit growth the following two weeks, despite some muted midweek trade. Though CGA by NIQ said these figures were inflation by comparison to a non-Easter week in 2024.
May
Moving to May, a turn in the weather left pubs struggling for year-on-year growth after several weeks of positive numbers.
That good run came to a halt in the seven days to Saturday 10 May, when sales finished 8% behind the equivalent period in 2024, according to the tracker.
This was attributed to damp weather across much of the country, which kept drinks sales down throughout the week and negated the benefits of the long bank holiday weekend.
All major drinks categories measured in the tracker were behind as better weather in 2024 also made for tough comparisons.
Though the tracker showed more positive comparisons the following week to Saturday 17 May, with marginal year-on-year growth in drinks sales of 0.3%, which was well below May’s 3.5% rate of inflation.
The second bank holiday of the month proved to be a washout for pubs and bars across the country, as wet weather made for flat sales at the end of May.
June
Operators and suppliers experienced an up-and-down June for drinks sales despite growth returning after a challenging start to the month.
CGA by NIQ’s data showed average sales in managed venues in the week to Saturday 7 June were 7% behind the same period in 2024, attributed to rain and low temperatures.
Brighter weather made for much better trading the following week, with sales up 4% year-on-year in the week to Saturday 14 June. The LAD category continued to see better sales than others like wine and spirits.
Variable weather and hesitant consumer spending then saw trade dip overall in managed venues the following two weeks, with drinks sales down 5% and 7% in the weeks to Saturday 14 June and Saturday 21 June respectively.
Trade on Sunday 29 June was down by 25%, reflecting tough comparatives with the same Sunday in 2024, when England’s dramatic 2-1 win over Slovakia in the Euros drove high footfall, but rebounded on Monday 30 June, rising 35%.
July
Warm weather and major events failed to stop drinks sales falling in managed venues in the first week of July.
Sales in the week to Saturday 5 July were 4% behind the same period in 2024. It meant trading was negative for four of the five weeks since early June.
Better weather then helped boost on-trade drinks sales back into growth, with average sales across the week to Saturday 12 July 5% ahead of last year.
High temperatures led to spikes on several days, with year-on-year growth of 19% and 30% on Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 July.
Figures were held down on some other days by tough comparatives with July 2024, when England were performing well in the men’s Euros football tournament.
However, the month also benefited from the women’s version of the competition, which had a positive impact on some pubs and bars.
Cider, soft drinks and beer all saw double digit growth while wine dropped by 12% and spirits continued to struggle.
