The S4labour Blog
Thought leadership, industry commentary and S4labour’s insights… all in one place.
February Like-for-Likes Show Little Growth
February sales in Hospitality show little growth, as year-on-year increase sits at 1.6%, despite low 2022 statistics that were affected by Omicron. Like-for-like growth has slowed significantly throughout 2023 so far. December 2022 saw an increase of 17%, followed by...
4 Ideas to Inspire your Valentine’s Day Offering
Valentine’s Day is a big one for the sector. With everyone heading out to bars and restaurants to enjoy some quality time with loved ones, it is one of the busiest and most profitable periods for Hospitality. In 2021, despite lockdown restrictions, CGA reported that...
Like-for-Like Sales up 4.1% in January Driven by Bounce in London
Monthly like-for-like sales in hospitality were up 4.1% compared with January 2022, the majority of which was driven by a 15.2% bounce in London. Rising prices over the last 12 months have impacted raw sales data. Although sales figures are increasing, these numbers...
S4labour Appoints Ron Pearson as Non-Executive Chairman:
S4labour has announced the appointment of Ron Pearson to the newly created position of non-executive chairman, with immediate effect. For more than 20 years, Pearson was a partner of private equity firm Bowmark Capital, helping the firm invest in the likes of Las...
Be Your Best – A Reason to be Optimistic in 2023
As we go into 2023, it would be easy to begin the year on the back foot. There are significant head winds facing not just our industry - the whole country feels like it’s in the weeds. Next year we will go into battle with a recession, the cost of energy crisis,...
Christmas Brings 17% Bounce in Hospitality Like-for-Like Sales
December Like-for-Likes were up 17% compared to the same period in 2021. While the figure represents a significant increase on the previous year, December 2021 was marred by a wave of Omicron, washing out trade for many operators. Despite rail strikes causing...
Hospitality sales bounced this month
Hospitality sales bounced this month with an increase of 3.2% across the sector. Both London and non-London sites saw wet-led growth, totaling a 5.5% growth which was to be expected as many poured into pubs to catch the World Cup. The capital saw the most uplift, as...
What We Learnt at Propel
Last week I attended Propel’s quarterly multi club conference, ‘New Ways of Working’ to catch the latest industry insights. Unsurprisingly, the consensus swayed closer to concern than confidence for the sector’s future. From discussions around inflation and VAT, to...
Hospitality Sales Down for Second Consecutive Month
S4labour releases like for like sales for October 2022
Shocking September for Hospitality
Hospitality sales faltered last month with like-for-like turnover down by 6.9% versus the same period in 2021. The biggest contributor to this figure was food sales, which saw a drop of 12.7% this year. London saw an increase of 8.9%, albeit, largely owing to a modest...
48 Hours at Casual Dining
Casual Dining 2022. Coined the definitive event for publicans and restauranteurs. After exploring this labyrinth of 200+ incredible suppliers for two days, I’m compelled to say it lives up to the name. Renowned for its keynotes from big names with invaluable industry...
Get to Grips With Your Daily Labour Spend
Following significant challenges over the last two years, hospitality is endeavouring to bounce back as restriction-free trading sees a new dawn for consumer demand. However, significant challenges are well documented, such as rising inflation, perilous utility costs...