Rebuilding the Pub Sector

Challenges ahead: Flat sales for pubs in April (Getty/ filadendron)

Pubs report flat sales in April

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Britain’s leading managed pub, bar and restaurant groups recorded like-for-like sales growth of 2% in April 2022, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker has revealed.

Wales Tourism Week: Public encouraged to visit hospitality venues in Wales (Getty/ Klaus Vedfelt)

Wales Tourism Week 2022: Public urged to back businesses

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

UKHospitality Cymru (UKH) has urged the public to back local businesses and visit Wales’ hospitality sites throughout the holiday season, in light of the start of Wales Tourism Week 2022 yesterday (Monday 16 May).

Third best result this year: drinks sales up 3% in week to Saturday 7 May (Credit: Getty/monkeybusinessimages)

Drinks sales up 3% in week to 7 May

By Rebecca Weller

Average sales by value in managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 7 May were 3% up on the same week in 2019 in the third best result so far this year, according to the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker.

UKH summer conference: showcasing the sectors vision for the future

UKH summer conference to take place in June

By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality leaders and MPs are among those expected to take part in the UKHospitality (UKH) Summer Conference to showcase the sectors vision for the future to key Government and political figures.

Overall consumer spending in April up: but inflation and living costs impact hospitality sector according to Barclaycard data (Credit: Getty/ljubaphoto)

Consumer spending up 18.1% in April

By Rebecca Weller

Consumer card spending grew 18.1% in April compared with the same period in 2019, however, inflation and rising living costs impacted the hospitality sector with smaller uplifts than March, data from Barclaycard has shown.

All rise: every city on the report has increased sales as footfall returns (credit: Getty/andresr)

Glasgow bounces back strongest with recovery slower in London

By Gary Lloyd

Glasgow has been labelled the most vibrant of the top 10 UK cities as the hospitality trade continues to improve with London the slowest to recover, according to a new report from insights data and Wi-Fi specialists CGA and Wireless Social.

Muted celebrations: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls

UKH celebrates recovering, yet warns of challenges ahead

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Office of National Statistics’ latest labour market overview, which showed industries continuing to recover from the pandemic, was “positive news” for hospitality, yet the sector was still fragile, according to UKHospitality (UKH).

Building momentum: like-for-like sales in Britain's managed restaurants, bars and pubs were 3% higher in February 2022 than February 2019 (Credit: Mykola Pokhodzhay)

Managed groups see 3% sales increase in February

By Rebecca Weller

Sales in Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups were 3% higher in February 2022 than in February 2019, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Combatting costs: Price rise hike needed for sector recovery (Getty/ Peter Cade)

Prices expected to rise by 11% across sector

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Prices across the hospitality sector are expected to rise by 11% throughout the year, as businesses try to combat cost pressures and rising VAT rates, a UKHospitality (UKH) survey has revealed.

Returning to pubs: More than two thirds of consumers felt more confident visiting pubs during December 2021 than at the start of 2021 (Credit: Getty/ Henrik Sorensen)

Consumer confidence doubles since the start of last year

By Rebecca Weller

More than two thirds of consumers felt a higher level of confidence when visiting pubs, bars, and restaurants, during December 2021 than at the start of 2021, according to the CGA Consumer Pulse Survey.

Hospitality saw 10,650 more businesses in 2021 vs March 2019: Research reflects 'resilience and excellence' of the sector (Credit: Getty/glegorly)

Hospitality site numbers up 10,650 against pre-Covid

By Rebecca Weller

There were 10,650 more food and drink businesses across the hospitality sector in 2021 than in March 2019 and 3,650 more when compared with March 2020, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) official UK Business Count.

Halted trade: December put a stopper in hospitality's recovery (Getty/Leo Patrizi)

13 sites a day lost since pandemic’s onset

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

While Britain’s hospitality sector grew modestly in the last quarter of 2021, tough trading conditions now threaten to halt the sector’s upturn, the Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners has revealed.

Hard hit: Pubs and bars had the toughest trading period over Christmas (Getty/ Dimensions)

Pubs and bars hit hardest over festive period

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Britain’s managed pub, bar and restaurant groups suffered a double-digit sales drop from pre-Covid levels in December, yet pubs and bars were hit particularly hard over the festive period, the latest CGA Business Tracker revealed.

Dire trade: Gov's support does little to recoup hospitality's lost trade

Gov support ‘doesn’t touch the sides’

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Trade over the Christmas period was “pretty dire” at the Curlew in Bodiam, East Sussex, with the Government’s support packages doing little to provide sustained support to hospitality, said operator Matthew Devlin.

Christmas Day trade down 60%: UKH calls on the Government to lift restrictions for the sake of the

Pubs lost £10,335 on average over Christmas

By Rebecca Weller

Pubs, bars, and restaurants lost £10,335 on average in the week leading up to Christmas with Christmas Day takings down 60% when compared to 2019, figures from UKHospitality (UKH) have shown.

Pressure on the sector: Staffing levels down 18% compared to two years ago (Credit: Getty/Eugenio Marongiu)

Staffing levels 'still down 18% against 2019'

By Rebecca Weller

For the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, all sectors within hospitality saw staff headcount increase in October, compared to last year, but staffing levels were still down 18% in comparison to the same period two years ago.

What is the trade expecting for Christmas?

Christmas optimism high

By Ed Bedington

Optimism for the Christmas period is running high with people working in the hospitality sector, despite concerns over Government plans for the winter.

Will Christmas come for the pub trade?

Christmas is coming, or is it?

By Ed Bedington

The entire trade has its fingers, and even toes, crossed that we’ll be given the opportunity to get a clear shot at a decent Christmas trade this year.

Threats on rise: British Institute of Innkeeping's Steve Alton

Opinion

Pubs’ recovery under threat as supply chain issues escalate

By Steve Alton, chief executive, British Institute of Innkeeping

Our sector relies upon an effective integrated supply chain linking raw materials, manufacturing and logistics to ensure our pubs can deliver a fantastic experience for their customers.

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