Two in five to retreat from hospitality with new restrictions in place

Two in five consumers will go out less often as a result of the new restrictions placed on pubs, bars and restaurants, according to CGA.

Following the Prime Ministers announcement on Tuesday (22 September) that hospitality venues will be required to close at 10pm and operate with table service only, 40% of respondents to CGA’s latest consumer pulse survey said they would now go out less often, with only 14% saying they would go out more frequently.

Despite the curfew’s intended effect to reduce socialising, a third (34%) of consumers said they would be likely to invite friends back to their house after 10pm, and 30% said they would seek out alternative locations to continue socialising.

Among people who usually go out late, three quarters said they would either stay in a venue for a shorter length of time (43%), or stay away in the evening completely (34%).

Of those who often visit city centres, almost half (48%) said they are now less likely to visit venues, much more than those in rural areas (29%).

Unsurprisingly, the measures are likely to hit weekend trade the hardest, with two in five (41%) consumers who previously went out on Saturdays saying they are less likely to do so now, compared to 29% of weekday visitors.

“Our survey shows that having been encouraged out to restaurants, pubs and bars in August, large numbers of consumers are now likely to retreat,” said research and insight director Charlie Mitchell.

“The new restrictions deal a major blow to operators who had got back on their feet after lockdown, and to city-centre and late-night operators in particular.

“With so many people signalling they will simply switch their socialising elsewhere, rather than in the hygienic environments that operators have worked so hard to create, these measures may not even have much beneficial impact. Businesses have responded nimbly to all the restrictions that have been placed on them so far, and will now be finding more innovative ways to sustain trade without compromising guests’ safety.”