Only 5 of Britain’s 10 biggest city centres are experiencing growth in out-of-home food and drink sales and Bristol is one of them, according to new data.
The CGA and Wireless Social’s latest Top Cities report shows half of the cities experienced negative sales in July (3rd – 30th July 2022), compared to the same period in 2019. This is the first time this has happened since the report, providing a ‘vibrancy’ ranking of Britain’s most populous cities, was launched in January.
Sales across the top five cities in the rankings were between 0.2% to 6.2% higher although with inflation at over 10%, sales are falling in real terms. Glasgow takes the top spot on the list, rising from sixth place in June, largely driven by sales performance. Birmingham rose from fifth to second on the list, while Bristol retained the third most vibrant ranking position, with increased log-ins recorded. London’s sales have declined 7% on 2019 figures, contributing to its ranking at number nine in the report.
CGA client director Chris Jeffrey said: “Following its performance in the first half of the year, it’s no surprise to see Glasgow back on top and it’s promising to see Birmingham climb back into second position. However, it’s clear that despite the sales growth seen across some cities, the sector is still facing substantial challenges in the form of inflation, rising costs, staffing shortages and supply chain issues. With half of the cities on the vibrancy ranking report seeing negative sales versus 2019 for the first time since P01 and cost of living concerns beginning to impact consumer spending, it looks likely that challenging trading conditions will continue to affect the sector.”
Julian Ross, founder and CEO of Wireless Social, said: “While it’s encouraging to see growth in some parts of the country, the economic climate continues to be extremely concerning for hospitality businesses. The cost-of-living and energy crises rage on, with seemingly no clear objectives or support measures in place or even on the table – without this intervention, the industry is heading for an extremely bleak autumn and winter. Support for our sector is desperately needed, and it’s needed now.”
The Top Cities: Vibrancy Ranking reports are based on a combination of sales data from CGA’s Managed Volume Pool of more than 8,000 pubs, bars, and restaurants, and Wireless Social’s guest data gathered from more than one million log-ins. They say this “provides the most accurate assessment yet of the vibrancy of Britain’s key city markets for eating and drinking out.”
For the full report go to https://cgastrategy.com/just-half-of-britains-10-biggest-cities-in-growth-as-sales-momentum-slows/
