Restaurant deliveries up in November

Britain’s leading restaurant groups saw delivery sales rise by 3.6% year-on-year in November.

According to the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker, powered by CGA, the figure is slightly above the UK’s rate of inflation in November, which was set at 3.2% by the Consumer Prices Index from the Office for National Statistics.

However, hospitality’s at-home sales were weakened in November by slow takeaways and click-and-collect orders. Sales by value in these channels fell by 8.8% year-on-year.

The net result of rising deliveries and falling takeaways was that restaurants’ at-home sales were exactly level in November. It continues a pattern of flat or modest like-for-like sales growth in 2025 as consumers tightened their spending.

Finding the positives

The Tracker shows more positive sales trends on a total basis. Adding in newly opened restaurants or sites where deliveries and takeaways have been introduced for the first time, last month’s sales were 6.1% ahead of November 2024.

NIQ’s Hospitality at Home Tracker shows deliveries earned 13.4p in every pound spent with restaurants in November, while takeaways and click-and-collect orders attracted 4.8p in every pound.

"November’s real-terms growth in delivery sales is welcome news for restaurants," says Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food at EMEA at NIQ. "However, it’s clear that much of the extra revenue has come over from directly-ordered takeaways, and it’s been powered by higher prices rather than extra volumes.

"Growth is also unlikely to be covering the additional costs that have been imposed on hospitality over the last 12 months, with yet more tax burdens from the Budget to come. Deliveries will be a valuable channel for restaurant groups in 2026, but maintaining profitability and ensuring at-home sales don’t cannibalise eat-out visits will be two big challenges."

Businesses that feature on the Tracker include Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bill's, Bleecker, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Megan’s, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk. 

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