The late night “circuit bar” mentality is in decline, replaced by a focus on “lighthouse venues”, according to new research.
CGA Strategy’s Consumer Index reveals that customers on a night out are these days less likely to visit several venues over the course of the evening – and more inclined to head more quickly to their final destination bar with maybe just one or two prior venues.
Just half of consumers now ‘go out’ at least once a week, and the average number of venues visited on a night out is 3.3, CGA’s chief operating officer Phil Tate revealed at the ALMR Spring Conference. He added that three in 10 on-trade customers are going out less frequently than they did one year ago. Just one in 10 is going out more often.
Tate also shared data showing average frequency and spend per on-trade occasion (see picture). ‘Sociable Get Togethers’ represent 16% of on-trade occasions, and are worth £14 per head. The ‘Big Night Out’ is worth £18 per head, but represents just 8% of on-trade occasions – the same as ‘Couple’s Nights’, worth £13 per head.
Tate said: “We are seeing the emergence of a new style of on trade – dynamic and customer centric with excellence in execution in multiple areas of operation.” However, he added, that there is fierce competition for some occasions: “The ‘Quiet Drink’ is now as low as 6% of on-trade missions, as other venues such as the coffee shop are taking this quiet catch up.”
In terms of day parts, after work (5pm to 7pm) now represents just 15% of on-trade drinking occasions, compared to 22% in the afternoon, 30% in the early evening (7pm to 9pm), 33% in the late evening and 13% after midnight.
