On-trade sales slip as spirits and wine feel the chill in September
Cooler weather in mid-September dampened On Premise drinks sales, with beer and cider holding up better than spirits and wine, new CGA by NIQ data reveals.
Sales soften after strong summer finish
On Premise drinks sales in managed venues fell year-on-year for two consecutive weeks in September as temperatures cooled, according to CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker.
Average drinks sales for the week to Saturday 13 September were 1.4% down compared to the same period in 2024. The decline widened to 3.0% in the following week to 20 September. While sales outperformed on four days across the fortnight, they lagged behind on ten.
The figures mark a slowdown for pubs, bars and suppliers following a solid late-summer performance, with sales having run ahead of 2024 levels for five out of six weeks between late July and early September.
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LAD categories hold steady
Continuing trends seen over the summer, Long Alcoholic Drinks (LAD) categories – particularly beer and cider – showed the strongest resilience.
Beer sales were up 1.0% in the week to 13 September before easing 1.0% down the following week. Cider posted a 1.0% rise followed by a 4.8% drop, while soft drinks were relatively stable, up 1.0% then down 1.8% across the fortnight.
Spirits and wine under pressure
Spirits and wine sales saw sharper declines. Spirits were down 7.1% and 6.2% in the weeks to 13 and 20 September respectively, while wine sales fell 8.5% and 7.6% over the same periods.
Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead for UK & Ireland, said: “The key On Premise sales patterns that we saw over summer—of generally flat sales but resilience for LAD brands—look like they are extending into the autumn season. Growth is largely being driven by higher prices rather than increased volumes, and many consumers are clearly still keeping a very close eye on value when they drink out. The cooler months will hopefully bring better fortunes for the spirits and wine categories, but pubs, bars and suppliers will have to work hard for any year-on-year gains.”
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