The severe winter weather of last month put the brakes on Domino’s Pizza’s ongoing sales growth in Ireland.
The UK-based fast food delivery company said it saw 5.2% sales growth at its Irish operations in its first quarter, covering the three months up to the start of April, a slowdown on recent quarters.
“The slower growth, in part, reflected the impact of the severe weather seen in March,” the company said in its latest quarterly trading update.
Overall, the group — which operates in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland — recorded sales of £311.1m (€358m) in the first quarter, up 10.4% on a year-on-year basis.
Last month Domino’s said it is planning, this year, to continue its recent expansion in Ireland through the opening of four more outlets this year. Last year marked the first time in six years that Domino’s opened a new shop in Ireland and the planned new stores this year would take its total store numbers here to 53.
That expansion is taking place despite more Domino’s online orders increasing by nearly 29% here last year.