“21% of parents visited a pub with children in January 2016. The ever-growing importance of food to pub revenues means that landlords are competing as much against mid-market restaurant chains as they are against other pubs. There’s a growing case for replicating the kind of child-oriented provisions, such as toys and colouring books, that the likes of Pizza Express and Wagamamas have long offered parents, as well as designating specific times and spaces of the pub in which to allow children.”
Economic revival will give people the confidence to trade up
Despite the economy continuing to improve, 30% of Brits still describe their financial situation as either ‘tight’ or ‘struggling/in trouble’. Only 24% identify their financial situation as ‘healthy’. While real wages are rising for many consumers, confidence remains flat and is generally not translating into significantly higher spending in shops.
Despite the associated costs of Christmas, Brits still took part in a wide variety of leisure activities in January 2016. However, many activities saw a clear decline against October 2015 participation rates, a likely reflection of post-Christmas economising, as well as the colder January weather. Weekly participation rates also saw a clear drop in many of the selected leisure activities.
Dining out in pubs and restaurants and going to the pub for a drink are among the most popular options, with participation rates holding up much better than for visitor attractions such as museums and zoos.
Visitor spending for restaurant and pub dining is broadly similar, although restaurants have a much higher share than pubs of customers who spent more than £40 on their last visit (32% vs 18%).
30% of nightclub/late night bar goers spent more than £40 on their last night out in these venues in January 2016, broadly in line with the share in October 2015. The nightclub sector has been hit by falling numbers in recent years, but while fewer people are visiting clubs, average spend remains relatively high.
Food remains important to many pub operators, with 23% of pub goers having gone to a pub because of its high quality food within the month to January 2016. Meanwhile, 19% went for a celebratory meal in this traditionally quiet trading month, underlining the all-year-round opportunities to tap into milestones such as birthdays.
17% of pub goers used vouchers for meals/drinks in pubs in the month to January 2016, showing how they can boost footfall during quieter periods.
