Drinks sales in Britain’s on-trade fell below last year’s levels in the first week of July, despite support from warm weather and major events, CGA by NIQ’s latest Daily Drinks Tracker shows.
The Tracker shows average sales in managed venues in the week to Saturday, 5th July, were 4% behind the same period in 2024. It means trading has been negative in four of the five weeks since early June.
Sales on Sunday were down by 25% year on year, reflecting tough comparatives with the same Sunday in 2024, when England’s dramatic 2-1 win over Slovakia in the Euros drove high footfall.
However, trading rebounded sharply on Monday, with sales up 35%, and remained positive through to Friday, supported by continued good weather and the second Test match at Lord’s. Saturday saw another drop of 21%, with no major sporting fixture to match last year’s England v Switzerland Euro quarter-final.
Cider and soft drinks comfortably outperformed the market as a whole, with year-on-year growth of 7% each. Beer was 5% behind last year, while wine and spirits saw steeper declines of 7% and 12% — a third consecutive double-digit drop.
“The boost of last summer’s Euros makes year-on-year comparisons difficult, but the bright weather of early July clearly gave pubs, bars, and suppliers a big boost,” said Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland.
“It’s particularly encouraging for cider brands, which tend to peak in line with the temperatures. Soft drinks are also strong as we move into the crucial school holidays season.
“Real-terms growth will be hard-earned this summer, but there continue to be plenty of opportunities amid the challenges.”
