The latest monthly snapshot of the Eating and Drinking Out Panel for the four weeks to 19 March paints a dour picture for the restaurant sector, with businesses failing to attract a notable boost in occasions over the Mother’s Day weekend (18/19 March) and spend growth remaining significantly behind inflation.
Dinner occasions registered a fall of 1.4 percentage points (ppts) year on year for the period, in part driven by recovery in day-time occasions with more consumers out and about as well as a consumer effort to reduce out of home occasions at the most expensive day part.
This is further amplified by the rise in total market penetration, which has increased by 2ppts with 57% of UK adults having an eating or drinking out occasion over the period.
Lumina says the growth reflects more consumers returning to pre-pandemic norms including commuting and working away from home.
The re-alignment of day part shares has impacted average spend growth year on year.
However, spend growth is just +2.6%, notably behind inflation figures.
