Cash-strapped Brits cut down on takeaways as fast food spending drops for the first time since lockdown
BRITS are thinking twice about ordering in, figures show — with spending on takeaways dropping for the first time since lockdown.
Expenditure on fast food and deliveries fell 0.2 per cent last month.
That was the first decrease recorded since 2020.
The dip comes after firms, including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC, recently reported a slip in their own sales.
Covid restrictions had ushered in a boom for dialling up for food and pushed many chains into offering deliveries.
The research by Barclaycard said that 54 per cent of Brits claimed they were cutting back on takeaways to save money.
Meanwhile, 53 per cent admitted to reducing their meals out in restaurants in a bid to look after their finances.
Brits had already been cutting back on takeaways but high food inflation means meals are costing more then ever.
Prices are rising faster than the average rate as firms pass on higher staff costs.
An Indian takeaway is five per cent more expensive than a year ago, the Office for National Statistics reported.
A takeaway chicken and chips is up six per cent, while a Chinese meal is now four per cent.
Overall consumer card spending growth slowed to a three-year low last month as rising household bills and wet weather led to cautious budgeting.
Spending rose one per cent on the year in May, the smallest rise since February 2021.