Whitbread reports strong start to financial year

23rd June 2010, 11:36am

Whitbread, the group behind Beefeater, Costa Coffee and Premier Inn, has announced an increase in total sales and like for like sales for the first quarter of the year.

Premier Inn sales were up 14.1%, with like for likes up 10.5%. Like for like revenue per available room at Premier Inn was up 9.1% with occupancy of 75.7% achieved.

Meanwhile the restaurants – Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns –attracted a total of 5.2% more customers over the last three months. Total sales were up by 4.2% and like for likes were up 3.6%.

And Costa's total sales were up 26.9% and like for likes rose by 8.5%. The Costa Coffee Club had a successful launch in March, says the company. There are now over two million card members accounting for over 40% of all transactions.

Turnover in our UK and international franchise stores was up by 39.7% to £63.9 million.  The group opened a total of 55 equity and franchise stores in the quarter, 24 in the UK and 31 internationally. Whitbread plans to open 250 new stores during 2010/11.

Alan Parker, chief executive of Whitbread, said: "In these times of austerity, our strategy of value for money hospitality brands in growing segments of the market has put us in a position of relative strength.  We intend to further increase our market share by improving occupancy in our hotels and customer volumes in our restaurants and coffee shops.

"Our longer term expansion will continue at a pace appropriate to our competitive performance and growth in the market. We will remain vigilant on cost control and are currently planning to be broadly cash flow neutral this year. Whitbread has performed well in recession and is strongly placed for any recovery."

Related Articles:

• 11 Apr 2012 - Whitbread appoints new managing director of Costa Coffee
• 13 Dec 2011 - Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread achieves total sales growth of 11.4%
• 12 Aug 2011 - Whitbread hotel and restaurant group to sell and lease back seven Premier Inn properties
• 28 Apr 2011 - Whitbread achieves strong revenue growth with sales up 6.6%
• 02 Mar 2011 - Costa reveals Coffee Nation acquisition
• 28 Jan 2011 - Whitbread welcomes new non executive director to the board
• 24 Jan 2011 - Whitbread restaurants introduce range of lower salt soups
• 04 Nov 2010 - Whitbread launches sustainable hotel and low carbon restaurant in West Sussex
• 10 Sep 2010 - Whitbread and Thirdforce celebrate 1000th Skills for Life learner
• 07 Sep 2010 - Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread sees sales increase by 14%
• 16 Aug 2010 - Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread expands into Staffordshire
• 14 Jul 2010 - Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread reveals green refurbishment drive
• 30 Apr 2010 - Restaurants introduce tempting deals to boost sales
• 12 Jan 2010 - Whitbread to launch first low-carbon restaurant

Click here to submit a comment!

Have your say!

To comment on this article, simply enter your name and email and send us your views. Please note that your comment will appear publicly below this article once it has been processed. For enquiries please email info@eatoutmagazine.co.uk.