Fast on the heels of Wetherspoon’s recent results – like-for-like sales up 3.5% and total sales up 6.2% in the 11 weeks to 14 July, and no doubt still enjoying the effects of the sun on trading – have come (mostly) positive trading reports from other major brewers.
Perhaps the slowly improving economy, combined with Wimbledon and the Ashes, is encouraging customers to loosen their money belts just a little…
Marston’s, with 2,100 pubs, reported that like-for-like sales at its destination and premium pubs have risen by 6% over the last 10 weeks – and that it had been forced to send an emergency tanker of beer to Lord’s during the scorching Ashes test!
Fuller’s meanwhile has enjoyed a like-for-like sales increase of 10% in the last 16 weeks.
However, Mitchells & Butler has had a quieter time: sales up 1.6% in the 14 weeks to 20 July, though 2% in the most recent 9 weeks.
For Wetherspoon’s results in more detail click here