Lower share of delivery sales leaves Westlife's investors with bitter taste

A 7% decline in same-store sales is twice that of Jubilant's

There is little doubt that the lockdown following the Covid-19 outbreak has changed consumer behaviour, weakening sales of many sectors, including quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Among QSRs, the pressure is higher on players that earn less revenue from delivery-channel sales, as is seen in Westlife Development’s (Westlife’s) March 2020 quarter (Q4) results, announced last Thursday.

Westlife, which operates the McDonald’s chain in south and west India and earns around 50 per cent of revenues from dine-in, reported a decline of 6.9 per cent in same-store-sales in Q4. The fall is double the 3.4 per cent decline reported by Jubilant FoodWorks (Jubilant)