The August Civic Holiday long weekend provided a big sales spike for bars and restaurants.

The latest BeverageTrak data from NIQ shows that the Civic Holiday long weekend sales were up 14% versus the previous Monday, with all provinces reporting double-digit growth, apart from Quebec. Sales velocity for all Canada is now above 2022 levels, driven by both traffic and cheque value.

BeverageTrak uses data compiled from receipts for drinks, food and non-food items across hundreds of dining establishments and includes tips, tax and discounts.

“The latest sales figures from our On Premise Sales Impact Report, shows the importance of national events such as public holidays in Canada,” says Mitch Stefani, client solutions director for North America at NIQ, adding that this gives reason for the sector to be optimistic about the upcoming Labour Day long weekend. BeverageTrak data has found that other holidays – both those with and without an accompanying long weekend – have improved the fortunes of bars and restaurants.

According to Stefani, drink-led outlets, brands, suppliers and operators should be preparing for the positive expected uplifts and planning strategies to maximize performance on Labour Day, which was the most valuable Monday of 2022. Last year, Labour Day Monday sales were 42% higher than the average Monday, with foot traffic up 40%. For drink-led outlets, velocity levels were up 55%.

Regionally, for Alberta, sales velocity is now up 7% year-over-year, with British Columbia up 5% and Quebec up 1%, due to an increase in ticket count, though the average cheque value remains flat. Ontario, however, is down 3% year-over-year.