THE firm behind budget hotel chain Premier Inn and the Beefeater Grill and Brewers Fayre pub brands is anticipating “moderate” growth over the next few months following strong summer sales boosted by the Olympics.
Total revenue was up 14.2% to just over £1 billion in the six months to August 30, while like-for-like sales rose 4.3%. Pre-tax profit was up 10.6% to £193.4m.
An “outstanding” performance by coffee chain Costa, which saw total sales soar 25% in the six month period and a 6.8% rise in like-for-like sales, is credited with driving growth.
Whitbread posted a 12.9% increase in total sales across the Premier Inn chain in the six months, with like-for-like sales up 3.7%; while the firm’s restaurants saw total sales up 5.3% and a 3.4% increase on a like-for-like basis.
Image – There are 620 Premier Inns in the UK.
