After initial declines at the start of lockdown the takeaway market has returned to, and in the first 2 weeks of July exceeded, its pre-COVID high, according a report from AHDB retail insight manager Rebecca Gladman.
This is driven by growth in collected and drive-thru orders, which account for the majority of takeaways, while Britain’s delivery orders are more than double what they were pre-COVID (Kantar Out of Home, 4 w/e 12 Jul 20)
The reopening of most fast food brands has brought good news, with volumes for all sectors rising at pace, for most sectors this meant volumes in the past 20 weeks increased significantly when compared to this time last year.
Pork has returned to year-on-year growth, with increases coming from a variety of sources. Ham and pepperoni pizzas are a core part of this, and Chinese takeaways have provided further growth. While breakfasts at many fast food outlets have been limited, the presence of bacon on popular beef and chicken burgers has also aided volumes.
Ms Gladman commented: “Chains (such as McDonald’s, KFC, Greggs) are key to the performance of the takeaway market, accounting for 58% of occasions pre-COVID. Therefore, their return to collections and drive-thru, following temporary closures at the start of lockdown, have been the main driver of this recovery.
“The majority of this data covers the period before the reopening of cafés, pubs and restaurants. Therefore, it is currently unknown if these growth levels will be maintained, particularly as the introduction of the government ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme offers an incentive for consumers to eat out of home during August. However, AHDB believes the in-home dining experience is a trend that many will adopt longer term. Future updates from AHDB will assess the overall impact on the out of home market.”
