Delivery and Takeaway Sales Grow in May as Bad Weather Keeps Brits Indoors

New figures from CGA by NIQ show delivery and takeaway sales rose 1.8% year-on-year in May – the strongest showing so far in 2025. The uptick follows April’s 0.6% drop, when good weather lured people out. In contrast, May’s damp conditions boosted at-home dining, with delivery sales alone up 4.1%. Takeaway and click-and-collect fell by 2.1%.

Total order numbers rose 10.2% compared to May 2024, suggesting more people turned to convenience options during the unsettled weather. The Tracker reports that deliveries accounted for 13.5p in every pound spent with participating restaurants in May, while takeaways attracted 5p.

Despite this growth, inflation still outpaced it, standing at 3.4% for the month. Restaurants also continue to face pressure from rising wage and National Insurance costs. According to CGA’s Karl Chessell, “Cool and wet weather made for a challenging May in hospitality, but deliveries have provided a brighter spot for restaurants. Nevertheless, growth of 1.8% is not enough to keep pace with inflation, and it will have done little to offset the sharp hike in employers’ pay and national insurance costs from April.”

He added: “The vagaries of Britain’s summer weather are making it an uncertain period for trading, and consistent, real-terms, like-for-like growth in either eat-in or at-home sales may still be some way off.”