Convenience store retailers are reporting dents in footfall as consumers are lured by the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Samantha Coldbeck, who co-owns Wharfedale Premier in Hull with her husband, said she had noticed a steady decline during the days the scheme was active, with sales dropping between 10%-12% compared with this time last month.
But she said sales on Thursday to Saturday were jumping 30% compared with this time last year.
“It’s an interesting pattern to see what people are choosing to do and how their behaviours are changing,” said Coldbeck.
“It looks like people are switching their eating-out nights to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then choosing to eat in their gardens and have friends round the rest of the week.
“Month on month, we’re still trading up 26% on this time last year. But when you start looking at the actual days, you can see a noticeable, steady decline on the Eat Out to Help Out days.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that when the scheme does come to an end, we will probably see customers using us more on those days.”
Nisa retailer Rav Garcha has also reported a similar pattern in his weekly sales, with a quieter Monday to Wednesday, and footfall made up during the rest of week.
Amrit Pahal, owner of Nisa Local in High Heath, Walsall, said he had also noticed a “slight difference” in his sales during this period.
Pahal said: “I’d say it’s been quieter in the evenings, so when people would usually pop in for some wine or beer, they might be out instead.
“But I think I’ve been quieter generally because I was doing crazy numbers before Covid and we’ve been on a gradual slow decline since, whether the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has added to that, it could be one of the reasons to be honest.
“But we’re still trading 30% to 40% up compared to pre-March levels, so I’ve managed to retain a lot of footfall.
“For me now, it’s about nurturing the customer, and formalising the habit of keeping it local, small and often.”
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