Deliveries soar for restaurant groups in May as weather keeps some consumers at home

Deliveries in May were 11.3% ahead of the same month in 2023 on a like-for-like basis. It follows cool and damp weather in many parts of Britain for much of May, which led some consumers to order in food rather than going out.

However, takeaway and click-and-collect sales were down by 2.0%, as people continue to migrate from pick-ups to the convenience of delivery platforms. The Tracker shows combined delivery and takeaway sales were 6.2% ahead—an improvement on April’s figure of 4.5%. Restaurants’ at-home sales have now been up year-on-year for 12 consecutive months. May’s growth is also well above Britain’s current rate of inflation.

The Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates that deliveries accounted for just under 11 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in May, while takeaways attracted four pence. Food took a 91.1% share of all at-home orders and drinks had an 8.9% split.

“Twelve months of year-on-year growth in a row marks an excellent recovery for restaurants’ at-home sales after the post-Covid drop in orders,” says Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA.

“While May’s positive trading was boosted by the mixed weather that caused some consumers to stay at home, it could also be a sign that people are becoming freer with their spending. The easing of inflation and interest in the Euro 2024 football tournament should help to sustain momentum into the summer, and we can be cautiously optimistic for solid growth in both deliveries and eat-in sales over the rest of the year.”