Famous Brands sales slow down as Covid-19 takes its toll on consumer activity

DURBAN – Famous Brands said yesterday that its sales had slowed down from the beginning of March as the Covid-19 outbreak took its toll on consumer activity and shortened trading hours.

The group said initial indications were that sales deteriorated steadily in the first three weeks of March as the government took measures that effectively restricted consumer activity.

It said markets where the virus had been prevalent for longer had been most affected.

“At this point, there has also been a concerning decline in sales in South Africa with some temporary restaurant closures locally, as well as in Mauritius and Kenya, due to the decline in trading volumes in those specific markets,” the group said.

However, the food franchisor’s supply chain operations had not experienced significant disruptions.