MRM Research Roundup: End-of-January 2021 Edition

27 Min Read By MRM Staff

This edition of MRM Research Roundup features the latest restaurant sales stats, brand loyalty, Valentine's Day spending plans and more.Same-Store Sales FallThe fourth quarter was not good for restaurant sales; each month posted worse same-store sales growth than the previous month, according to Black Box Guest Intelligence. By December, same-store sales growth fell to -13.3 percent year-over-year, the worst month for the industry since July. Same-store traffic growth for the month was -18.6 percent, also the worst performance in the last five months.

For more restaurant industry performance data visit the Restaurant Industry Snapshot: December Ends 2020 with Exasperating Sales Results; Final Week Offers Reasons for Optimism.

There are many factors that contributed to poor restaurant sales in November and December. The rapidly spiking number of COVID-19 cases came with tighter dine-in restrictions in some areas and may have discouraged some potential diners due to health risks…