Alcohol sales surged in the first full week of May thanks to warm weather and should continue growing ahead of this summer’s Euros and Olympics.
Drink sales lifted 13% in the week to May 11 compared to a year prior, marking the first seven days of growth in more than a month, CGA data revealed.
As temperatures moved into the 20s on Friday and Saturday, revenues lifted 21% and 5% respectively.
Throughout the week, beer experienced a 14% year-on-year rise, cider a 33% jump and wine an 11% lift.
Jonathan Jones at CGA said: “The sunny weather means it’s been particularly good news for longer and lighter serves and pubs and bars with outdoor gardens and terraces, many of which have been empty for months.”
Looking at trends from last year, the CGA said it has seen a particular uptick in experience-led hospitality experiences such as ticketed events and live music.
With both the Euros and Olympics taking place this summer, many venues are expected to capitalise on this trend by showing broadcasts of the events.
CGA revealed that sporting events such as the Euros typically lead to double-digit growth in beer sales, with a third of craft beer drinkers found to have visited a pub to watch a specific sporting event.