For the very first time, the first two quarters of the year saw more businesses close than open in the hospitality sector, according to Graydon, a market information office, and Foodservice Alliance, a sectoral organisation. They highlight the responsibility of the new “intelligent” cash register, the so-called “black box.”
The industry lost 223 businesses in the first six months of the year. At the same time last year, 600 new businesses opened. The introduction of the “black box” is “one of the main reasons” for the new trend, explains Graydon. The increase in online food services is another.
The “intelligent” till has advantages, according to the authors of the report. Adopting it encourages retailers to update their accounting system, they point out. Fewer businesses in the sector could also mean better productivity per business.
Total expenditure in the hospitality sector by Belgian consumers will reach 12.6 billion euros this year, according to Foodservice Alliance. The Flemish food and beverage federation recently reported a sharp increase in the number of closures in the sector compared to last year.
(Source: Belga)
