Fri 3rd Jan 2025 - Pre-Christmas trading provides welcome boost to bars as wider market sees more modest growth Pre-Christmas trading provides welcome boost to bars as wider market sees more modest growth: Britain’s leading hospitality groups recorded year-on-year sales growth of 2.7% in the run-up to Christmas (week commencing 16 December 2024 versus week commencing 18 December 2023), a special weekly edition of the Hospitality Business Tracker shows. With year-on-year sales failing to meet inflation in six out of the past 11 months, operators have already found themselves balancing fine margins throughout 2024, the Tracker said. But with staffing costs among managed groups expected to rise even further in April 2025’s government Budget, this Christmas is carrying the burden to make up for strained trading in the previous year and bolster business for the year ahead. While like-for-like sales growth of 2.7% in the week commencing 16 December performance may not have been stunning, with sales beating recent inflationary benchmarks, it was a week of solid performance. However, the success has not been divided equally across the market, according to the Tracker – which is produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK. A confluence of Christmas parties, late-night sporting events and convenient bank holiday scheduling may have all contributed to the strongest performance seen among managed bars this year, of 20.5% growth. “This will be a welcome boost for the beleaguered sector, which has spent most of the past year in decline,” the Tracker said. “It is also a welcome reminder that although spending may be currently restrained, there is still remarkable consumer desire to make the most of special occasions. Whether this momentum continues into early 2025, typically the toughest trading period for the late-night sector, remains to be been.” Across other segments, food-led operators saw relatively stronger performance, with like-for-like growth of 3.4% in the on-the-go sector and 2.1% in restaurants. Meanwhile, pubs saw only minor growth of 0.7%.