JDW sales continue to decline

Like-for-like sales at J D Wetherspoon in the first nine weeks of the current financial year were 8.7% lower than the same weeks in August and September 2019, before the pandemic started.

In its latest financial results, the pub operator revealed that in the last four weeks of the period (up to 1 October), like-for-like sales were minus 6.4%.

“Excluding airport pubs, where like-for-like sales declined by 47.3%, like-for-like sales declined by 7.1% in the first nine weeks, and by 4.9% in the last four," says Tim Martin, chairman of J D Wetherspoon.

“Total employee numbers averaged 39,025 in the financial year, which increased to 42,003 for the week ending 20 September 2021. Pubs have been at the forefront of business closures during the pandemic, at great cost to the industry, but at
even greater cost to the Treasury.

“In spite of these obstacles, Wetherspoon is cautiously optimistic about the outcome for the financial year, on the basis that there is no further resort to lockdowns or onerous restrictions."

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