Pub visits over recent months have fallen by almost 20 per cent compared to last year, with the average UK consumer going to the pub four times a month rather than five times.
The average spend per visit has also fallen by almost a fifth to £15.08.
Nightclubs have fared even worse than pubs. The number of visits to clubs has fallen by over a third compared to last year. Restaurants have also seen the number of visitors fall, but only by 8 per cent.
The findings are contained in the Leisure Wallet Report by Zolfo Cooper, the financial advisory firm. The company said that rising taxes, falling disposable incomes and concerns over job security are to blame for the drop-off in visits.
Paul Hemming, a partner at Zolfo Cooper, described the figures as concerning. However he said that the drop is not surprising given the poor state of household incomes. Over the last year the national average household income fell by £494 to £30,730, he said. People aged between 35 and 54 are cutting back the most as they juggle the cost of supporting a family.
“Last year the situation facing much of the leisure sector was very challenging so to see further year-on-year declines of 20 per cent to 30 per cent is definitely a concern.
“The pressure on consumer’s disposable income is forcing them to prioritise,” said Mr Hemming.
Despite the overall decline in spending, certain parts of the UK are proving to be more resilient than others. For example the proportion of the population drinking in pubs has fallen by 12 per cent in the North-East, but risen by 7 per cent in the South-East.
Mr Hemming said: “The situation varies across the country. We continue to see the resilience of London.”
1 Sept 2011
Pub visits fall by a fifth - Telegraph
via telegraph.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment