Diners used Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme more than 10.5 MILLION times in its first week, Treasury figures reveal
- New scheme gave shopping areas a boost in footfall in its first week in action
- Eat Out to Help Out gives diners 50% off in meals eaten inside restaurants
- Number of people in retail destinations surged by 18.9% after 6pm last Monday
- But retail body behind the figures showing the increase warned jury was still out
Diners used Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme more than 10.5million times in its first week, Treasury figures have revealed.
Locked-down Brits have been able to get back out into restaurants, cafes and pubs with a £10 discount on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday so far this month.
According to the BBC, HMRC has received 10,540,394 claims under the scheme up to August 9.
The average claim has been for around £5, bringing the total cost of the policy to around £50m thus far.
Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme has served up a huge 25 per cent increase in people going out – but most are dining out at night mean shops are seeing little benefit.
Mr Sunak said: ‘Britons are eating out to help out in big numbers.
‘And they aren’t just getting a great deal – they’re supporting the almost 2 million people employed in this sector.’
The drive saw the number of people in retail destinations surge by 18.9% after 6pm last Monday compared with the week before, with market towns seeing 25 per cent more footfall.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, pictured at a Wagamama, launched the scheme in July
Retail experts said the jury was out on whether it would successfully boost retail sales
But retail expert Diane Wehrle warned it was too soon to be able to tell if scheme would be enough to boost the economy enough on its own.
She said: ‘The jury is still out regarding the benefit of the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme which launched last week, although there were rises in footfall on each day between Monday and Wednesday from the week before.
‘It is clear that it was the post 6pm period that yielded the greatest rise in footfall, and also that smaller towns benefited more than large city centres.
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme sees bills slashed by 50% on all eat-in meals giving up to £10
Statistics from Springboard showed a week on week increase but huge drops from last year
Q&A: When is Eat Out to Help Out on and do I need a voucher?
When is it available?
It runs every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from August 3 to 31.
What is it?
A 50 per cent discount when you eat in up to a maximum saving of £10 per diner. The business reclaims the value of the saving from government.
What establishments can take part?
Restaurants, cafés, bars or pubs; work and school canteens; food halls.
What are the restrictions?
No discount on alcoholic drinks or service charges.
Do I need a voucher?
No. The discount will be automatically applied by the participating outlet. The saving can be used alongside other offers and discounts.
How do I find participating outlets?
Treasury has set up a postcode finder that will list outlets offering a scheme within a two mile radius – here
What about chain restaurants?
Ninety businesses have registered to take part in the scheme, including McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC; burger chains such as GBK, Five Guys, Honest Burgers; coffee shops such as Costa, Starbucks, Pret a Manger, Caffe Nero; pub chains such as Wetherspoon, Fullers, Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers; restaurant chains such as Wagamama, Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, TGI Fridays, Côte Brasserie, Franco Manca.
As the scheme continues throughout August and more Brits enjoy staycations across the UK, time will tell if the government scheme provides the boost that retail destinations across the country require for business survival.’
Ms Wehrle is the insights director of retail group Springboard, who carried out the research, and is on the Government High Street Task Force.
It said overall footfall had increased by 3.8% in the UK’s high streets, shopping centres and retail parks.
But it insisted comparing the first Monday in August to the last Monday in July was misleading as July 27 was very rainy, pushing down footfall.
Instead it preferred to look at Tuesday and Wednesday, where footfall was down by 0.6% against the previous week at lunchtime, and up 12.2% after 6pm.
Overall footfall rose by 2.6% on Tuesday and Wednesday, lower than the rise of 5.9% on the same days the week before.
The data tallies with a similar measure from Yolt, a money app, which saw a 14% jump in the number of its users paying for meals out.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has put aside around £500 million to pick up half the bill for diners who patronise restaurants during 13 days in August.
Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the month, the Eat Out To Help Out scheme means that people can get 50% off their bill, up to a maximum of £10, excluding alcoholic drinks.
The data from Yolt shows that while eating out might have jumped by 14% on last Monday to Wednesday, many were still saving more than usual.
Pauline van Brakel, chief product officer at Yolt, said: ‘It is great to see people taking advantage of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and taking the right steps towards smart spending.
‘It is also encouraging to see that, even with the temptation to spend more now, people are still remaining consistent with their efforts to save and they are seemingly trying to continue that habit going forward, particularly as we face economic uncertainty in light of Covid-19.’
Pauline van Brakel, chief product officer at Yolt, said: ‘It is great to see people taking advantage of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and taking the right steps towards smart spending.
‘It is also encouraging to see that, even with the temptation to spend more now, people are still remaining consistent with their efforts to save and they are seemingly trying to continue that habit going forward, particularly as we face economic uncertainty in light of Covid-19.’
Which chains and restaurant groups are registered for the Eat Out To Help Out scheme?
Atalian Servest
Atlas Hotels
Bakers + Baristas
Bannatyne Health Club
Bar + Grills
Bill’s
Black Sheep Coffee
Blue Diamond
Boparan Restaurant Group
Brains
Brewdog
Burger King
Buzz Bingo
CH&CO
Caffè Nero
Center Parcs
Coffee#1
Company of Cooks
The Cornish Bakery
Costa Coffee
Crussh
Côte Brasserie
D&D London
David Lloyd Clubs
Deep Blue Fish & Chips
Dobbies Garden Centres
Euro Garages
Everyman
Five Guys
Franco Manca
Fullers
G1
GAIL’s Bakeries
Giggling Squid
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Greene King
Grosvenor Casinos
Hall & Woodhouse
Haven
Hollywood Bowl
Honest Burgers
Hydes
JD Wetherspoon
JW Lees
Joe & The Juice
Joseph Holt
Jurys Inn
KFC
Kew Green Hotels
Leon Restaurants
MacDonald Hotels
Marston’s
McDonald’s
McMullen
Mecca
Mitchells & Butlers
Morrisons – Cafe and Barista Bar
New World Trading Company
Park Holidays
Patisserie Valerie
Pho
Pizza Express
Pizza Hut
Pret A Manger
Prezzo
Punch
Revolution Bars Group
Raj Douth
Raj Gate
Roadchef
Selfridges & Co
Shepherd Neame Ltd
Spice Garden
St Austell Brewery
Starbucks
TGI Fridays
Team Sport
Tenpin
The Ivy Collection
The National Trust
Tony Macaroni
Tortilla
Turtle Bay
Vacherin
Village Hotels
Viva Italia
Wagamama
Wasabi
Wildwood
YO Sushi
Youngs
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