Storms drove spirits sales at Britain’s managed pub groups down 20.1% in late October

Storms in late October hurt drinks sales at pubs, bars and restaurants run by managed groups in Britain, according to NielsenIQ data released on Friday, November 6, with spirits and wine posting the sharpest declines across two consecutive weeks.

NIQ said total drinks sales fell 5.8% in the week ending October 24 and 1.5% in the week ending October 31. The second week showed a smaller overall drop, but trading still remained negative at the end of the month.

Spirits recorded the steepest falls. NIQ said spirits sales were down 20.1% in the week to October 24 and 16.9% in the week to October 31. Wine also declined in both periods, falling 6.9% and 3.4%, respectively.

The figures came from NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker, which monitors drinks sales in Britain’s managed hospitality sector. NIQ linked the weaker late-October performance to storms, pointing to weather as a major factor behind softer sales in venues that depend on customer footfall and evening trade.

The numbers add to concerns about the pace of demand ahead of the Christmas season, one of the most important trading periods for the drinks industry. A weak run into the holidays, especially in wine and spirits, could affect purchasing plans, stock levels and promotional activity for suppliers as well as pub, bar and restaurant operators if the slowdown continues.

For venue groups, the data also show how quickly bad weather can hit sales in drink-led businesses. Storms can reduce travel, shorten social outings and keep customers at home, cutting spending in the on-premise market even when the disruption lasts only a few days. The smaller overall decline in the week ending October 31 suggested some stabilization, but spirits and wine remained under pressure.

NIQ’s latest reading points to a subdued finish to October after a period when operators would normally hope to build momentum into the year-end trading season. Suppliers of wine and liquor, in particular, are likely to watch November demand closely for signs that the late-October weakness was temporary rather than the start of a softer winter market.