Wet weather dampens pub, bar and restaurant sales in February - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

"February's trading was adversely affected by dull and wet weather across many regions of Britain, with Met Office data indicating that England experienced 42% more rainfall than the long-term average for the month. Additionally, some consumers stayed home due to concerns about their disposable income amidst rising prices and economic uncertainty."

"Pubs outperformed restaurants for the 15th consecutive month, according to the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Pub groups saw like-for-like sales increase by 1.0%, marking a positive month for this segment for the 13th consecutive month—though growth has exceeded 4% only twice."

"Despite the dip in like-for-like sales, new openings helped managed groups maintain growth in line with the country's February headline inflation rate. On a total sales basis, which includes venues launched by hospitality groups in the last 12 months, growth reached 2.9%."

The NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals that managed hospitality groups faced challenging conditions in February 2026, with like-for-like sales declining 0.2% compared to the previous year. Adverse weather, particularly excessive rainfall in England at 42% above average, combined with consumer caution regarding disposable income amid rising prices and economic uncertainty, dampened spending. Pubs outperformed other segments for the 15th consecutive month with 1.0% sales growth, while restaurants declined 1.1%, bars fell 4.1%, and the on-the-go segment dropped 5.0%. Despite like-for-like sales weakness, new venue openings enabled managed groups to achieve 2.9% total sales growth, aligning with inflation rates. However, rising costs in food, drink, and labour continue to pressure profit margins.

Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com