Caffè Nero predicts strong summer and autumn after sales uplift

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Caffè Nero has announced ‘robust’ trading for the final three months of its financial year (1 March 2023 to 31 May 2023), including strong like-for-like sales growth taking sales to 112% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

During the same period, the group opened 23 new stores across its various different territories, seven of which were in the UK.

The Nero Group has invested heacvily in its estate with the upgrade and reburbishment 140 of its UK sites over the past 12 months and a further 60 branches worldwide.

A further 180 stores are scheduled for refurbishment during the next financial year.

In the UK, Caffè Nero says it has continued to grow transactions via its mobile App with over 32% of all UK store transactions now taking place via app and more than 2 million people now using it in the UK.

Between March and the end of May, Caffè Nero also continued the expansion of its delivery sales in the UK, with sales growth of 63.3% compared to the same period in 2022.

“We saw very strong sales for the final quarter of our financial year with our iced drinks (which launched in April) sales in the UK up 54% on

the same time the previous year, and savoury food sales 5% higher than the previous year,” says Caffè Nero founder and group CEO Gerry Ford

“The UK also saw strong coffee sales, including our very successful single origin range. Our continued growth of delivery sales is also hugely encouraging.

“Despite difficult market conditions and inflationary costs still being challenging, the Caffè Nero brand has traction and is moving forward. With our new store opening programme and exciting product launches ahead, combined with clear customer demand for the brand, I’m confident we will have a strong summer and autumn.”

At the start of the year the group reported sales of £150m for the first half of its current financial year - June to November 2022- and said revenue had returned to pre-pandemic levels, with sales in December averaging 110% of pre-Covid levels.