British restaurant groups recorded a third consecutive month of below-inflation organic growth in at-home sales in March, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals.
The Tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, shows like-for-like sales across the month were only 1.9% ahead of March 2025. After modest growth of 2.7% and 0.1% in January and February respectively, it suggests many consumers have been keeping a close eye on their spending in early 2026. Their confidence is likely to fall further as households anticipate the impact on many energy-related costs of the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.
The new Hospitality at Home Tracker highlights consumers’ ongoing migration from takeaways to the convenience of deliveries. Restaurants’ delivery sales in March were 6.3% ahead of March 2025 on a like-for-like basis, but the value of takeaway and click-and-collect orders fell by 8.6%. This was the 12th successive month of negative numbers. It means that takeaways generated 5.1% of spending with restaurants in March, while deliveries accounted for 13.5%.
More positively, there are signs that some consumers have switched from at-home ordering to eating out as the weather improves. The separate NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker indicates a modest year-on-year increase in restaurant groups’ dine-in sales in March.
Trends are also much better on a total sales basis. Adding in new restaurants, or ones where deliveries and takeaways have been launched for the first time, year-on-year growth reached 11.8% in March.
Karl Chessell, Director – Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at NIQ, said:
“Whether eating out or ordering in, consumers have clearly been putting a tight lid on their spending in the first quarter of 2026. Slow organic growth means restaurants are currently relying on higher prices and new openings to shore up at-home channels, and the steep drop in takeaway orders is a cause for concern. We are likely to see some costs rise sharply for consumers and operators alike in the next few months, and real-terms growth will continue to be very hard earned.”
The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker, a rich source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.
Partners on the Tracker are: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kricket, Megan’s, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers, Mowgli, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk. Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.
With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release, regarding at-home sales trends in Britain, may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “indicates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.
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