Pub group Fuller, Smith & Turner says it has lost £4million in sales and will miss profit targets this year due to the impact of ongoing train strikes.
The chain, which has nearly 400 pubs, also warned that pressure on the cost of living was hurting business.
Fullers, which also operates hotels, said underlying revenue for the year ended January 21, 2023 was up a fifth.
But boss Simon Emeny said the impact of the strikes was “frustrating”.
In a statement, the company said: “Due to the impact of the train strikes, our sales are down 5% compared to the same four weeks in 2019.
“We estimate that since the beginning of October, our sales have increased by around EUR 4 million as a result of industrial action.
Looking ahead, Mr Emeny said that “while ongoing strike action will dampen sales” there is good demand from customers “as office workers and tourists continue to return to the capital”.
Railway workers staged a series of strikes over wages and working conditions last year. On February 1st and 3rd there will be further strikes by members of the Aslef train drivers’ union, affecting 15 railway companies.
- When do the rail strikes happen and why do they happen?
Fullers said annual like-for-like sales were up 20% compared to the previous 12 months when many Covid restrictions were still in place.
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