Sunny weather and an interest rate cut helped August round off a solid summer of sales. Computing performed well as parents readied children for the new academic year, and gaming continued to show strong sales. Furniture also did better for the second month in a row, following several months of falling sales. New school clothing and footwear did not sell as well as expected, as some families opted for second-hand purchases.
the new Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality reveals. Sales from April to June rose by 8.0% year-on-year, continuing a long run of growth in every quarter since mid-2021, when caterers started to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. After 9.5% growth in the first quarter of the year, it completes a very strong first half of 2025 in which contract caterers have outperformed most other sectors of hospitality.
Chief executive Phil Urban stated, "It's been the case for the last two or three years that Nicholson's has led the way, closely followed by Sizzling Pubs, Vintage Inns, and Castle Pubs."
"We saw a robust start to 2025 with 30% sales growth, driven by an impressive 65% sales increase in North America," he observes, starting a basic summary that emphasizes "monetization momentum" and "navigating strategic initiatives and macro uncertainty."