Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Main issues
- Definition
- Abbreviations
Insights and Opportunities
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- Take lanes on the road
- Online systems can yield results
- New recipes for eating
Market in Brief
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- Weather still chillier than economic outlook?
- Party time – not all the time
- Importance of ancillary activity not reflected on the balance sheet
- Bowling battles an eating disorder
- Mutual pleasure in multiple leisure
- Initial clouds of smoking ban all set to clear
- Credit crunch delays consolidation
- Boutique bowling still in style
- Innovation takes a back seat to basics
- Adspend goes online
- Toddlers and dodderers: Can they do it too?
Fast Forward Trends
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- Authenticity
- What’s it about?
- Observations
- What next?
- Menaissance: Return of the manly man
- What’s it about?
- Observations
- What next?
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Limited leisure time
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- Figure 1: Working hours and leisure time, 2002-07
- Little time for bowling, even less for arcade and bar
- Changing leisure interests
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- Figure 2: Leisure activities favoured by tenpin bowlers, 2002-07
- Core customers’ outlook changing at pace
- Accessibility: Can everyone really bowl?
- Comparatively low levels of provision
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- Figure 3: UK tenpin bowling centres, 2004 and 2007
- Figure 4: UK sports facility provision, 2006
- Drivers take fast lane
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- Figure 5: Levels of car ownership among UK adults, 2002-07
- MLPs under pressure at the pumps
- The smoking ban strikes
- Short-term need to support smokers…
- …but a long-term imperative to break that habit
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- Figure 6: Adults who have smoked cigarettes in the last 12 months, 2003-07
- Image unconscious?
- The need to match style with substance
- The will of weather
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- Figure 7: UK average mean temperature, rainfall and sunshine hours, 1998-2007
- Sunshine on a rainy day
- Let’s go beach bowling
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Bowling spared the credit crunch?
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- Figure 8: Trends in selected areas of discretionary expenditure, at current and constant prices, 1989-1994
- Lowering the bar (takings)
- Corporates stand back – in both business and pleasure
- Utility bills hit operators as well as customers
- Demographic trends: is Britain too old to bowl?
- Younger greys: active and affluent
- Internet penetration: online Brits impossible to ignore
- Bowling centres parked in multi-leisure locations
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- Figure 9: Popular facilities at multi-leisure parks, 2000-08
- Standalone specialists threaten parks’ business
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- A small fish in the large leisure pond
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- Figure 10: Consumer expenditure on selected leisure goods and activities, 2002-07
- The lure of the lounge
- MLP rivals…
- …or comrades in arms against the High Street?
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
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- Strengths
- Levels of public awareness
- Easy to play
- Family friendly
- Ancillary offerings
- Multi-leisure park locations
- Weaknesses
- Vulnerability to the weather
- Public perception as an occasional activity
- Levels of provision
- Fragmentation
- MLP locations
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- The steadier pace of progress
- Big screens have broad potential
- Faster movement in marketing
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Slow but steady growth since 2003
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- Figure 11: The tenpin bowling market, 2003-13
- Peaks and troughs in an upward graph
- Credit crunch yet to bite
- Ready for take-off?
- Forecast
- Factors used in the forecast
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Strongest performance in the core activity
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- Figure 12: Tenpin bowling expenditure, by segment, 2003-08
- Room for growth in secondary spend
- Numbers add up
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Downward trend in main media spend
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- Figure 13: Main media advertising expenditure of leading tenpin bowling operators, 2004-08
- Operators want depth, not breadth
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- Figure 14: Main media advertising expenditure of leading tenpin bowling operators, by media, 2004-08
- Investment heads online…
- …goes mobile…
- …and hits the shops
- Topicality knocks
Companies and Products
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- Key points
- Big three run two lanes in five
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- Figure 15: Leading tenpin bowling operators, by number of sites and lanes, June 2008
- Market braced for renewed activity
- Georgica plc (Tenpin)
- Turnover down, profits up
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- Figure 16: Georgica plc, key financial data, 2003-07
- AMF Bowling
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- Figure 17: AMF Bowling Ltd, operating results, 2003-06
- Mitchells and Butlers plc (Hollywood Bowl)
- Bowlplex plc
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- Figure 18: Bowlplex, operating results, 2003-07
- Other operators
- NAMCO Operations Europe Ltd
- Newbury Leisure Ltd (Lakeside Superbowl)
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- Figure 19: Newbury Leisure Ltd, operating results, 2003-07
- ‘Boutique bowling’ establishes itself
Brand Elements
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- Brand map
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- Figure 20: Attitudes and usage of tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- AMF Bowl
- What the brand is trying to achieve
- What the consumer thinks
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- Figure 21: Attitudes towards the AMF Bowl brand, April 2008
- NAMCO Station
- What the brand is trying to achieve
- What the consumer thinks
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- Figure 22: Attitudes towards the NAMCO Station brand, April 2008
- Hollywood Bowl
- What the brand is trying to achieve
- What the consumer thinks
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- Figure 23: Attitudes towards the Hollywood Bowl brand, April 2008
- Bowlplex
- What the brand is trying to achieve
- What the consumer thinks
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- Figure 24: Attitudes towards the Bowlplex brand, April 2008
- Tenpin
- What the brand is trying to achieve
- What the consumer thinks
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- Figure 25: Attitudes towards the Tenpin brand, April 2008
- Brand qualities of tenpin bowling brands
- Hollywood Bowl clear brand leader for fun, access and entertainment
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- Figure 26: Word associations of various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Experience of tenpin bowling brands
- Most people go to Hollywood, niche names struggle with access
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- Figure 27: Consumer usage of various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Brand intentions for tenpin bowling brands
- AMF closes loyalty gap on Hollywood Bowl
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- Figure 28: Intentions of various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Brand momentum for tenpin bowling brands
- Hollywood Bowl begins to roll, but Tenpin stalls
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- Figure 29: Momentum of various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Brand satisfaction for tenpin bowling brands
- Tenpin leads on excellence, most ‘no stars’ for All Star
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- Figure 30: Satisfaction of various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Brand commitment to tenpin bowling brands
- Hollywood Bowl most recommended, Tenpin fans most loyal
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- Figure 31: Commitment to various tenpin bowling brands, April 2008
- Round up
Who Bowls?
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- Key points
- A popular activity – but only for parties
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- Figure 32: Type of bowler, April 2008
- Gender equality an essential, not an advantage
- Better-off bowlers will buy into boutique
What do Bowlers Spend Their Money on?
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- Key points
- Bowlers going soft
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- Figure 33: Ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, April 2008
- Women drivers?
- Clear segmentation in secondary spend
- Dining spend limited by incomes
- Are marketers shopping in the right stores?
- Lapsed bowlers less impressed with ancillary offering
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- Figure 34: Ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, by type of bowler, April 2008
- How to pick a perfect pair
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- Figure 35: Combinations of ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, April 2008
Attitudes towards Tenpin Bowling
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- Key points
- Teens stick with friends, but bring the elderly into the family
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- Figure 36: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, April 2008
- I work, therefore I bowl?
- Customers out to lunch (and dinner)
- Non-smoking children are the future
- Online keen on lanes
- Customers want pins, not pans
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- Figure 37: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by type of bowler, April 2008
- Lapsed bowlers living in the past
- Can’t bowl, don’t have to bowl
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- Figure 38: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, April 2008
- Young palates increasingly sophisticated
- Smokers a lost cause post-ban
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- Figure 39: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by most popular attitudes towards tenpin bowling, April 2008
- Figure 40: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by next most popular attitudes towards tenpin bowling, April 2008
- Key groups seek better value
- Happy birthdays for operators
Tenpin Bowling Target Groups
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- Key points
- Identifying target groups
- Bringing them back to the lanes
- Hedonists (16% of the sample or 8.0 million adults aged 16+)
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- Figure 41: Hedonists - percentage point difference from average of key attitudes, April 2008
- Figure 42: Agreement with the statement “I go/would go to a bowling alley as part of a lads'/girls' night out”, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Opportunities
- Birthday Bowlers (13% of the sample or 6.5 million adults aged 16+)
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- Figure 43: Agreement with the statement “bowling alleys are great for entertaining the whole family”, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Opportunities
- Doing it for the Kids (26% of the sample or 13.0 million adults aged 16+)
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- Figure 44: Doing It For The Kids - percentage point difference from average of key attitudes, April 2008
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- Figure 45: Agreement with the statement “I have been/would like to go as part of a corporate event/work night out”, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Opportunities
- Not Bowled Over (5% of the sample or 2.5 million adults aged 16+)
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- Figure 46: Agreement with the statement “I am more likely to go bowling now that smoking has been banned”, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Opportunities
Appendix: Broader Market Environment
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- PDI
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- Figure 47: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2003-13
- Age and gender
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- Figure 48: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2003-13
- Lifestage
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- Figure 49: Forecast adult population trends, by lifestage, 2003-13
- Socio-economic group
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- Figure 50: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2003-13
- Internet penetration
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- Figure 51: British Internet penetration at home/work/place of study or elsewhere, by gender, socio-economic group, age, region and working status, 2001-08
Appendix: Who Bowls?
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- Figure 52: Type of bowler, by demographic sub-group, April 2008
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Appendix: What Do Bowlers Spend Their Money On?
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- Figure 53: Ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, by demographic sub-group, April 2008
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Appendix: Attitudes towards Tenpin Bowling
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- Figure 54: Most popular attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by demographic sub-group, April 2008
- Figure 55: Next most popular attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by demographic sub-group, April 2008
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Appendix: Tenpin Bowling Target Groups
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- Detailed demographics
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- Figure 56: Tenpin bowling target groups, by demographic sub-group, April 2008
- Attitudes towards tenpin bowling
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- Figure 57: Attitudes towards tenpin bowling, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Type of bowler
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- Figure 58: Type of bowler, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
- Ancillary activities/purchases
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- Figure 59: Ancillary activities/purchases when bowling, by tenpin bowling target groups, April 2008
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