Sales volatility characterises start of 2012

They have shown big swings in fortunes, reflected in see-sawing monthly figures as well. Wet and cold April saw collective monthly like-for-like sales dip 2% against the same time last year, while March had seen 1.9% like-for-like growth. The weather has been a major contributor, underlining the general industry rule, of when it’s sunny pubs do best and when it’s wet restaurants tend to prosper.

Pubs, and in particular drink-led businesses, were worst hit in April, with high street casual dining restaurants actually seeing sales increase against the same month last year—a reversal of the usual trend in sales we have seen over the past 18 months. For most of that period pubs have consistently out-performed restaurant groups in terms of like-for-likes. Better value, more investment and a desire for more informal options have all been drivers.

The Coffer Peach Tracker collects and analyses monthly performance data from 24 operating groups representing £6.1bn of annual sales. For more information contact christine@peach-factory.com.

See also: Peach wins Media Pioneer Award for Coffer Peach Business Tracker.