Foodservice sales up in June: Statistics Canada

Ottawa – Sales at food services and drinking places rose 1.1 per cent to $6 billion in June, according to a recent release from Statistics Canada. Higher receipts were reported at full-service restaurants (+1.9 per cent), limited-service restaurants (+0.6 per cent) and special food services (+1.1 per cent).

Receipts were down at drinking places (-1.9%), Statistics Canada said in the release.
 
In June, eight provinces reported higher sales. Most of the gains were attributable to higher sales in Ontario (+2.1 per cent) and Alberta (+1.5 per cent).

For more information, visit StatsCan’s “Food Services and Drinking Places Sales,” which provides access to information on the sales of food services and drinking places for Canada, the provinces and territories.

Sales up in second quarter
Unadjusted sales for the second quarter were up 4.9 per cent in the food services and drinking places subsector compared with the second quarter of 2017. Sales in all four industry groups increased as follows: full-service restaurants (+5.6 per cent), limited-service restaurants (+4.6 per cent), special food services (+3.8 per cent) and drinking places (+2.8 per cent). These increases follow a similar trend to the first quarter, leading to increases in all industry groups in the first half of 2018.

In the second quarter, sales were up in nine provinces with the largest gains in dollar terms occuring in Ontario (+6.3 per cent), British Columbia (+6.2 per cent) and Quebec (+4.6 per cent). Similar to the first quarter, Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.4 per cent) was the lone province to report declines in the second quarter.

Prices for food purchased from restaurants were up 4.5 per cent in the second quarter compared with the second quarter of 2017, while prices for alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments rose 2.4 per cent.

Mark Von Schellwitz, regional vice-president for Statistics Canada, commenting to CBC News on the numbers in Alberta, says it also has to be noted the increase in spending is partly just a reflection of menu inflation — prices have gone up as business owners try to recoup the costs of higher wages and food price inflation. | READ MORE