Mon 16th Jul 2018 - Managed pub like-for-like sales up 2.8% in June, restaurants see 1.8% drop Managed pub like-for-like sales up 2.8% driven by June heatwave and World Cup, restaurants see 1.8% drop: Britain’s pubs enjoyed a mini sales boom in June thanks to the hot weather and the start of the World Cup, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker. But while the country’s managed pub and bar groups saw collective like-for-like sales rise 2.8% against June 2017, restaurant groups suffered a 1.8% fall in like-for-like trading. Overall, the combined managed pub, bar and restaurant sector saw like-for-likes up 1.1% in June. “Sun and football are usually good news for the pub trade – and with England’s World Cup run and the hot weather continuing into July, we should expect more positive trading,” said Peter Martin, vice-president of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker in partnership with Coffer Group and RSM. “Better news is that the usual drop-off in restaurant sales during good weather and big sporting events is not cancelling out the boost for pubs and bars. Overall the market is up, and that follows a 1.4% increase for the sector as a whole in May.” Regionally, London did better than the rest of the country in June, with pub sales up 3.7% and restaurants down only 0.4% compared with a 2.3% like-for-like decline outside the M25. “Not surprisingly, drinks-led pubs have performed particularly well and across the managed pub market drink sales were ahead 5.1%, with food up only 0.3%,” Martin said. Underlying like-for-like growth for the 45 companies in the Tracker cohort, which represents large and small groups, is slowly improving after a tough period, running at 0.7% for the 12 months to the end of June, up from 0.6% at the end of May. “The consumer appears to be in more confident mood, buoyed by a remarkable summer and football success for England,” said Trevor Watson, executive director at Davis Coffer Lyons. “We expect the July data to see a continuation of this trend. Adverse publicity around the casual dining market is not leading to reduced eating out. Similarly, the effect of discounting in restaurants appears to be marginal.” Total sales growth across the pub and restaurant cohort, which includes the effect of new openings, was 4.2% in June, reflecting continuing if slower brand roll-outs and running at 3.8% for the 12 months to the end of the month.