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UK on-trade sales and footfall figures ‘sobering’

A new report has named the most vibrant UK cities for the on-trade – but has also showcased the devastating impact of restricted trading environments in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consumers drinking cocktails in the on-trade
Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol are among the UK’s most vibrant cities

Leeds has been named the most vibrant city for the hospitality industry in the UK, according to the new Top cities: vibrancy ranking report from market analyst CGA and wi-fi provider Wireless Social.

The research combined CGA’s sales data with device log-in feedback from Wireless Social in order to determine how the on-trade has fared in key UK cities.

For the four weeks to 15 January 2022, Leeds posted a 0.2% drop in sales compared with the same period in 2019, making it the top-performing city in the report.

Meanwhile, London was ranked last out of the report’s 10 cities, with sales 19% lower than in 2019 and device check-ins down 43%.

The figures reflect the effects of the UK government’s plan B restrictions implemented in December 2021 to curb the spread of the omicron variant of Covid-19. These rules, which included work from home guidance, were lifted on 19 January.

“It has been an immensely difficult two years for hospitality businesses in city centres, and these vibrancy figures reveal the damaging impact that Covid constraints have had on footfall and sales in late 2021 and early 2022,” said Chris Jeffrey, client director at CGA.

“With restrictions hopefully now behind us and many workers returning to offices, we should see British cities start to return to pre-Covid norms in consumer activity over the course of this year.”

Indeed, separate data from CGA has shown that consumer confidence is climbing, and that even as visitor numbers in the on-trade have decreased, average spend is on the rise.

“With the plan B measures behind us, it’s vitally important that the sector is able to build back and develop in a restriction-free environment,” said Julian Ross, founder and CEO of Wireless Social.

“The findings from this inaugural vibrancy report are sobering, especially with the lens focused on London, but as we’ve seen time and again over the last two years, pent-up consumer demand, combined with decreasing Covid case numbers, does positively impact activity across hospitality venues.

“Going out and supporting hospitality is more important than ever, with stark increases in business rates, VAT and energy bills right around the corner, so we’re hopeful that our next report will see a significant improvement in activity.”

Find the full ranking of the UK’s most vibrant cities below.

  1. Leeds
  2. Glasgow
  3. Bristol
  4. Birmingham
  5. Leicester
  6. Liverpool
  7. Edinburgh
  8. Sheffield
  9. Manchester
  10. London

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