January hangover for On Premise drinks sales 

NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows average sales in managed venues in the week to Saturday 24 January were 3.1% behind the same week in 2025. This was followed by a 2.5% drop in the seven days to Saturday 31 January. It means sales were down year-on-year in three of the first four full weeks of 2026. 

As well as cautious spending, On Premise footfall has been curtailed by rainy weather and Dry January pledges. It has led to losses across all of the main drinks categories, with spirits (down by 7.5% and 7.6% in the two weeks to 24 and 31 January) the hardest hit. After a difficult trading environment in 2025, January’s data suggests it is likely to be another challenging year for spirits segments. 

Other alcoholic categories have been performing in line with the market, with beer sales down by 4.0% and 3.7% in the two weeks. Cider and wine fell by 2.5% and 2.8% respectively in each of the two weeks.  

Soft drinks performed the best of the five major categories, boosted by some consumers seeking non-alcoholic alternatives during Dry January. Their sales were down by only 0.3% in the week to 24 January, and by 1.2% in the seven days to 31 January.  

Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland, said: “January’s figures suggest conditions remain tough for On Premise operators and suppliers. As well as slow sales, some businesses also face the prospect of further cost increases in 2026, including through rates, and their margins will be tightly squeezed. Widespread rain will also have hurt footfall in early February, and businesses will now be hoping that big celebrations like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter will stimulate some much-needed extra demand over the next few weeks.”