Restaurant delivery sales rise bolstered by World Cup demand

Restaurant delivery revenue rose 3.3% year-on-year in June, marking the category’s third best performance since late 2024, according to figures compiled by the NIQ Hospitality at Home tracker.

This marks the second consecutive month of increased restaurant delivery sales, which were up 4% year-on-year in May.

Restaurant delivery revenue rose 7.5% during the month in like-for-like terms, in stark contrast with an 8.1% slump in revenue from takeaway and click-and-collect restaurant orders.

Takeaway revenue declined for the 15^th consecutive month in June and now represent less than a third of the value generated from restaurant delivery sales.

NIQ’s EMEA director of hospitality operators and food Karl Chessell said: “Two months of real-terms organic growth represents a good start to the summer for Britain’s restaurant operators.

“The World Cup hasn’t done much to boost eating out, but it’s unleashed some extra spend from consumers watching games at home with family and friends. Meanwhile, double-digit growth at a topline level is an encouraging sign that operators are continuing to invest in delivery operations. However, with the tournament now over, the big question is whether fans sustain their delivery habits, swap them for eating out or retrench their spending. Either way, with at-home sales now worth more than a fifth of all restaurant revenues, they will be a crucial battlefield for market share in the second half of 2026.”

While restaurant delivery demand rose, in-restaurant revenue recorded its second-worst month of 2026 in June, in stark contrast with pubs.