Sales down 6% in July versus 2019 levels

The easing of restrictions, good weather and staycations combined to help hospitality continue its recovery during July, with total sales -5.5% lower than the July 2019 equivalent according to the Coffer CGA business tracker. On a like-for-like basis, sales during July were -6% lower than the same month two years ago. The restaurant sector led performance during the month, while bars benefited from the reopening of the night time economy. However, on a 12 month rolling basis, overall sales remained 20% below the 12 months to July 2020.