Marston’s toasts strong Christmas trading

Marston’s has reported “strong trading performance” over the Christmas period, with like-for-like sales up 4%.

It said that performance across its 1,300 pubs had been in line with expectations, while trading in the key festive period (21 December 2025 to 3 January 2026) was up 5.6%.

Marston’s added that it continues to roll out its new pub formats, designed to appeal to specific demographics, with 23 launches complete in the period. It said that the sites were outperforming expectations and that it planned to complete 50 by the end of 2026. 

The group has a number of events planned for 2026 to drive demand at its venues, including the Luke Humphries’ Cool Hand Cup darts competition and the QR code based Trivial Pursuit: Win a Wedge quiz. It is also confident that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will represent a significant summer trading opportunity.

Chief executive Justin Platt said: “Our pubs have delivered another strong start to the year, with standout performances across our key festive trading dates including setting a new record for Christmas Day – a clear reflection of the strength of our community pubs and the passion and energy our teams bring to every service.

 
“Like for like sales have remained resilient and, with 23 new pub format launches completed already in the first quarter, our accelerated rollout programme is driving further trading momentum and enhancing the guest experience.”