Hospitality groups say the strikes dealt a sharp blow to smaller operators.
KERB, which runs street-food markets and the Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden, reported a 60% drop in footfall at Seven Dials compared with the same week last year. It said this equated to a loss of more than 24,000 potential customers.
Simon Mitchell, the firm’s chief executive, said it had been forced to close four of its midweek lunch markets, costing about 30 traders an estimated £40,000 in revenue.
“The strikes have been a hammer blow to London’s street food community – coming after a typically quieter summer trading period,” he said.
“It’s already harder than ever to survive as a small food business.”
UKHospitality, a trade body representing the sector, said the strike could have cost up to £600m.
Kate Nicholls, its chief executive, said: “Our pubs, bars, coffee shops, hotels and restaurants, to name a few, continue to suffer as collateral damage, with total lost sales since the start of the dispute last year now expected to reach more than £3bn.”
Ahead of the strike commencing on Monday, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said a range of sectors, from professional services to retail and hospitality, would be affected by:
Reduced productivity as staff struggle to get into the office or arrive late
Shops, restaurants and leisure venues experiencing weaker footfall and lower consumer spending
Congestion on London roads adding to delays and lost output