Restaurants' delivery sales strengthen in September after tough Summer

Restaurants have made a solid start to Autumn delivery and takeaway sales with like-for-like growth of 2.3% in September, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

It is the Tracker’s highest point since June and follows a challenging Summer when consumers headed outdoors in the heatwaves. With the weather cooling they have now stepped up their at-home spending. However, growth remains below the UK’s 3.5% rate of inflation in September, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.

The pattern of modest growth is echoed in the latest figures from the separate NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which indicated like-for-like growth of 2.6% for managed restaurants in September—the highest figure for nearly two years.

September’s trends are even more positive on atotalbasis. Including sales at restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or where deliveries and takeaways were added for the first time, revenue jumped11.8%ahead of the same month in 2025—more than three times the rate of inflation. The rollout of delivery offers reflects restaurant leaders’ sustained confidence in the future of direct-to-door sales.

The Hospitality at Home Tracker also highlights the long-term migration of sales from takeaways to deliveries. Revenue from takeaway and click-and-collect orders dropped year-on-year for the 18^thstraight month, by6.3%. By contrast, delivery sales rose5.8%on a like-for-like basis, powered by orders from third-party platforms.

Combined delivery, takeaway and click-and-collect sales accounted for just over a fifth (20.9%) of all spending with restaurants in September, with deliveries attracting nearly three quarters of this revenue.

 Karl Chessell, Director - Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at NIQ, said: “Restaurants won’t be getting carried away with like-for-like growth of 2.3% in September, but they will feel relieved about an uptick in demand after a quiet July and August. It’s also pleasing that at-home sales growth doesn’t appear to be coming at the expense of eat-in trade. The latest figures raise hopes that consumers will loosen their spending in hospitality in the final quarter, though competition is going to be intense and rising costs will make profits hard-earned. As the run-in to Christmas begins, there’s all to play for in restaurant deliveries.”